I do not care to know who is voting for who, that is our own prerogative; however, I do care if people vote.
After seeing recent election campaign coverage and the coverage of the Republican National Convention, I have begun to do something. In this midst of the 2016 Presidential Campaign, it appears to be more of a reality show than a race to White House. Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, I think you would agree with that. On a daily basis, we see smear tactics (which are much more childish than those of the olden days) at play by both candidates. Donald Trump uses harsh vivid language and attacks candidates by name-calling, while Hilary Clinton does the same and has even employed a Donald Trump Generator on her website, which allows individuals to super impose Trump and his various sayings on their social media photos. Isn’t there more important issues that voters can be focusing on instead of the childish tactics that we have seen so far?
It is only July, we have four more months of campaign coverage to endure. I feel as though I have been seeing Trump and Clinton advertisements for a decade. The candidates are individuals who I feel were never America’s dream presidential hopefuls. Yes, Hilary Clinton is an established, well-known politician; however, some of her actions have caused her to lose credibility and the respect of many voters. On the other hand, Donald Trump is a famous business man who is known for his successful reality competition series, “The Apprentice”, and for being wildly outspoken. I dare to assume, but I do not think that these are the ideal choices to be the leader of the free world.
Amongst my coworkers, who are close in age to myself, and I have discussed our thoughts regarding the impending election. During these discussion, I hear things like “I like Trump because…” or “I like Hilary because…” or “I hate both candidates due to…”. I enjoy listening to and discussing opinions on important issues; however, one opinion I am not fond of hearing is “I am not voting.” Hearing that someone is not voting frustrates me and grinds my gears as Peter Griffin would say.
Generations of our nation’s citizens, both men and women, have fought so that everyone has the right to vote and has a say so in their government. In a democracy, it is the civic duty of all Americans to make their voices heard through voting. It irks me to hear people, especially those near my age, dismiss the thought of voting. Voting in presidential elections, which may seem unimportant to young voters, has a lasting effect on our nation. The decisions made today will lead the way for the future of our nation and its citizens. We are not voting for what washed up celebrity we want to win “Dancing with the Stars”, we are voting for the President of the United States, which is why we should take voting a little bit more seriously. Generations of Americans literally fought in wars so that future generations, like us, have the right to vote. Citizens from different countries all over the world are not granted with this right that we are so blessed to have; yet, many Americans are so quick to throw this right away.
We have an opportunity to make our voices heard. It’s frustrating to think that individuals ignore this opportunity that is placed right in front of them, no questions asked. No matter which party you identify with, we are presented with the opportunity and the responsible to elect the candidate we see fit to take the seat in the Oval Office.
After an election takes place, many are left feeling angry and annoyed at the outcome, which is understandable. Some of those who are left feeling this way even though they did not vote. To their anger and annoyance, I ask this: why didn’t you vote? If all of the eligible voters chose to participate and cast their ballot, the outcome could have been completely different, who knows. In 2012, only around 40% of those between the age of 18 to 24 voted (Election Project, 2016). Hearing statistics such as this shock me for a variety of reasons; yet, it makes me ask myself, “Will there be similar statistics in this coming election?”
I wish there was a way to engage young voters in an insightful way, instead of memes and vines that mock our candidates. If we spent half as much time studying up on each candidate as we spent sharing and retweeting silly posts about them, would younger voters begin to appreciate and understand the opportunities presented to them through the democratic process?
