Responsible Voting: It's Disappearing.

At age 13 you become a teenager. At 16 you get your license. At 21 you can drink. And at 18? Well, at 18 you're an official legal adult--you can vote. It's your right. You were born in a country that gives you the right to make vital decisions effecting a powerful nation as soon as you turn a certain age. Is that wrong? No. Is it right? That's the problem.

Now, I'm 17 years old and I love politics. I started school at an early age, so the large majority of my friends and peers will be able to vote in the next election, but I can't. I turn 18 a few days following the election day. Am I upset that I can't vote? Yes, but it's not the end of the world. No, what bothers me is the fact that many people who will be able to vote have no idea what's going on and will be voting based on either a)what their friends say, b)to be different, or c)because one is cuter than the other.

It saddens me a great deal (and makes me nervous for the future of this country) when I hear people saying "I'm voting Obama because he's black" or "I'm voting Hillary because she's a woman" or "I'm voting McCain because I can". These people I hear saying this will be voting for their first time and they are making judgments based on nothing.

I recently asked one of my friends about what she was hoping the next president will do about the economy. Her response was along the lines of "I don't care." This pained me a great deal. Economics is one of my favorite topics and she dismissed it as insignificant. I asked her about whether or not she like outsourcing and she didn't know what that was. I asked her about taxes and she didn't know enough about our tax system.

I'm sorry, but how can we allow people to vote just because they are a certain age when this type of stuff happens? here I sit as someone well educated about the political candidates and their beliefs and I can't vote while hundreds of thousands of other people can not have a clue and go out and vote for whoever has a better name? It's almost corrupt.

Now, don't misunderstand me. I'm not arguing for a lower voting age. That would be absurd. I'll wait my turn. I don't mind. What bothers me is that people are voting without knowing what they are voting for. I don't think people understand that they aren't just voting for someone, but they are voting for the leader of one of the most powerful nations in the world.

I have no solid proposition as to a solution for this problem. Exams, you say? No. People wouldn't bother and who would be the judge? Computers? Possible, but would people take time out of their schedule to fill out a form? Too many would say no. Perhaps more unbiased political education is needed. Teach both sides of the spectrum. Teach what a republican, conservative, liberal, democrat, and independent party/person is. Just teach people what they need to know in order to make an educated decision. If we did this, we could almost guarrantee a more successful future for this country,

Share this post on:

 •    •    •    •    •