To Vote or Not to Vote

Various media in my town has reported, covered, and pointed out that American Idol got some 600 million votes, and this is tragic in comparison to voter turn out rates. This is a round peg being shoved into the square hole. I do not see a comparison other in the nominal sense that both are voting practices, and both had voters. Secondly, I cannot see it as a indictment on voter turnout in the United States. The two are apples and oranges. People vote for American Idol because a) they like the show b) it’s easy, either a text or a phone call. Modern political voting practices in America involve a) registering b) going somewhere to vote c) having an opinion. We don’t compare the physical strength of a baby to a Colt’s linebacker, so let’s stop with the blurbed media about the voting practices of American Idol and our recent political races.

It is a shame that few people in comparison to the population effected actually vote? Yes, in many ways it is. I want to have faith in the political system, I want to believe that it is me and you that makes decisions in the United States. I teach this to my students, and pray that they buy into it. Sad truth is, and maybe I’m jaded, but the socio-political monster parties don’t give me any hope that I and you have anything to do with how our country is run. This may be a slap of ‘duh, I knew that’, but it hammers me every time I think about.

America was founded by supremely intelligent, guardians of the philosophy of democratic government. Say what you will about slave holding, and womanizing, and anything else the founding fathers may have done wrong, but they were the reason our nation has the flexibility to be a great nation for many years to come. The system they created has infinite possibilities, and assures that checks/balances give no one person tyranny. What galls me is that we continually misuse and misrepresent ourselves by not going to the polls, and believing in the system far superior minded people passed down to us.

Bottom line is, we can debate partisan politics forever. I can rail against the big two parties. You can be frustrated with Bush, or Fletcher, or whoever, but the simple and fundamental truth that apparently a massive majority of us forgot is that none of it will change, will matter, or will mean anything to us; unless our voice is heard. For all our sake’s, speak up.