2008 Woodie Awards
EDITORIAL: Vote to keep your voice
Issue date: 9/29/08 Section: The Roundtable
Voting - what could be more important for our democracy?
Voters decide who our leaders will be, who will make decisions that affect our jobs, health care, energy costs and national security. That's why it is so important that you register to vote and that you vote on Election Day.
The voter turnout numbers from the November 2004 election are shocking. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 51.5 percent of people ages 18 to 24 registered to vote, but of that group, only 41.9 percent actually voted. These numbers are pathetic. In a land that is built on democracy, we, unlike many other countries across the world, have the right to vote. This right was granted to all U.S. citizens through the U.S. Constitution and the 15th and 24th Amendments.
We urge students to use their constitutional privilege to have a say in the next president.
Many students think their vote doesn't count and they point to the Electoral College and the 2000 election - but they're wrong. Your vote does count. The Electoral College is meant to keep tabs on the voting process, and many citizens look down upon it because they don't really understand it. It was designed as a way for our forefathers to avoid the dangers of a direct election when choosing their leader. And since the elections in 2000 proved that it's possible for someone to win lose the popular vote and still win the election, many have been left with a sour taste in their mouths.
But don't let that stop you. We say use it as fuel to get fired up.
It doesn't really matter who - or what - you stand for. Come Nov. 4 you need to stand for something and vote - there's really no good reason not to.
Low voter turnout at the polls show that young Americans either don't care or just are not aware of the resources that are available to them. Statistics show fewer and fewer people are voting, but more and more people everyday are critical about the Bush administration and the war in Iraq.
In order to make change, voices need to be heard. Everyone should take the first step toward change by registering to vote, and you have until Oct. 6 to do so.
The president has a lot of power. He decides to send troops to war, how to spend the nation's money, who he thinks should be federal judges, and more. And on a local level your vote can decide whether the potholes in your street get filled by your mayor or if your Congressman votes allowing you to get financial aid for college.
It cannot be said enough. Young Americans need to be active participants in elections if change is to take place.
etc4640@dcccd.edu
Voters decide who our leaders will be, who will make decisions that affect our jobs, health care, energy costs and national security. That's why it is so important that you register to vote and that you vote on Election Day.
The voter turnout numbers from the November 2004 election are shocking. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 51.5 percent of people ages 18 to 24 registered to vote, but of that group, only 41.9 percent actually voted. These numbers are pathetic. In a land that is built on democracy, we, unlike many other countries across the world, have the right to vote. This right was granted to all U.S. citizens through the U.S. Constitution and the 15th and 24th Amendments.
We urge students to use their constitutional privilege to have a say in the next president.
Many students think their vote doesn't count and they point to the Electoral College and the 2000 election - but they're wrong. Your vote does count. The Electoral College is meant to keep tabs on the voting process, and many citizens look down upon it because they don't really understand it. It was designed as a way for our forefathers to avoid the dangers of a direct election when choosing their leader. And since the elections in 2000 proved that it's possible for someone to win lose the popular vote and still win the election, many have been left with a sour taste in their mouths.
But don't let that stop you. We say use it as fuel to get fired up.
It doesn't really matter who - or what - you stand for. Come Nov. 4 you need to stand for something and vote - there's really no good reason not to.
Low voter turnout at the polls show that young Americans either don't care or just are not aware of the resources that are available to them. Statistics show fewer and fewer people are voting, but more and more people everyday are critical about the Bush administration and the war in Iraq.
In order to make change, voices need to be heard. Everyone should take the first step toward change by registering to vote, and you have until Oct. 6 to do so.
The president has a lot of power. He decides to send troops to war, how to spend the nation's money, who he thinks should be federal judges, and more. And on a local level your vote can decide whether the potholes in your street get filled by your mayor or if your Congressman votes allowing you to get financial aid for college.
It cannot be said enough. Young Americans need to be active participants in elections if change is to take place.
etc4640@dcccd.edu
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