Opinion
 

Voter apathy worthless and un-American

By Justin Vann

I am not a psychic. I'm not even that good at making educated guesses. But I can say with unflinching certainty one thing about the future political climate in America: It's going to be intense.

Polls are showing that Bush is roughly neck and neck with his Democratic opponents in approval ratings, if not leading by a fraction. This means to me that America is in an ideological standoff. While the war in Iraq has spurred more Americans to go to the polls this year, it has brought equal numbers of hawks and hippies out of the woodwork.

So what is my official prediction for the presidential election? The undecided voters are all that matters. There are millions of people in the United States who have eight months to make up their minds about who to vote for, or whether they'll vote at all. I am writing this column to those undecided voters.

If I should discover that you, the reader, are not planning on voting this year, I will personally come to your home and beat you within an inch of your life. OK, maybe I won't beat you, but I will assault you with brutal taunting. 

During the last presidential election, roughly 40 percent of Americans voted. That is completely unacceptable. If those numbers don't go up, Uncle Sam will surely die of a heart attack. You don't deserve to call yourself an American if you don't vote. Cheat on your taxes if you must, but don't you dare skip the voting booth. You must vote. Make sure your friends and family also vote.

Now that you're set on voting, you have another obligation: be informed. Watch the news. Research candidates and understand their position on key issues like education and healthcare. Don't skim over them either. You should be watching the 2004 election unfold with the same fervor as the Super Bowl. It's pretty exciting to determine the fate of the country. Watch the debates between the candidates, or better yet, start some debates. I can't stress enough how important it is to make an informed decision. 

Candidates are going to lie. Facts will be twisted, distorted and covered up to serve both parties. Smear campaigns will dispense endless ad hoc drivel. Liberals will be called unpatriotic. Conservatives will be called greedy. The candidates will contradict themselves, and then accuse their opponents of being contradictory. Between now and November, you will be buried up to your eyeballs in rhetorical garbage. Are you prepared for it?

But whatever you do, do not vote for candidates just because they call themselves Democrats or Republicans. Plenty of liberals (Bill Clinton) have been elected only to pander to corporate interests and conservative lobbyists, just as plenty of conservatives (Richard Nixon) have taken office and acted quite liberal at times. Voting "straight ticket" is almost as foolish as not voting at all.

It's a big commitment to vote and to stay informed, but it's a small price to pay when you live in what is arguably the greatest country on Earth. You aren't fooling anybody with that little American flag sticker on your car. Be a real patriot and utilize the tools democracy gives you. Vote.

Vann, an editorial writer for The Daily Cougar,
can be reached via dccampus@mail.uh.edu.