The United States is about to experience its first major election since the 2016 election.
A lot of weight has been placed on this midterm election, due to the fact that it is the first major election to take place immediately after the 2016 presidential election, which presents the opportunity for constituents to express their feelings about the current conduct of Congress and shifts in preferred policies.
There has been wall-to-wall media coverage about how a "blue wave" will take the government by storm and a seemingly never-ending horse race as new polls come out closer and closer to election day.
However, despite what may be perceived as an inevitable outcome that can be confidently touted by TV pundits or an unlikely possibility as viewed by others, polls and horse race journalism mean nothing without the people who show up - as well as those who don't come at all.
If you don't find any of the current issues of the day compelling enough to get you to run to your nearest polling station, that doesn't mean you are immune to the policies that could be implemented as a consequence of this election.
Are you a millennial or part of generation Z? Your social security, public university tuition, healthcare coverage, civil rights, potential enlistment in a war, and countless other programs/policies are at stake. Do you really not care at all about the effects that these issues could have on your life?
More importantly, do you find yourself with such a lack of empathy that you can't even find the motivation to vote for the sake of loved ones around you?
Do you have a sickly relative or friend who could be denied vital medical services due to a pre-existing condition?
Is there someone in your life whose everyday existence could be made more difficult, simply because they are a minority?
Did you ever consider how your teachers brought the materials used in class?
Have you ever placed yourself in someone's shoes, and thought critically about the struggles they could be facing?
It is easy to find comfort in apathy. After all, it takes a lot less stress to only worry about getting through each day than it is to carry the additional weight of worrying about others.
But, even though being selfish is easier, what does that say about the society we live in if we were to never care about other people? If you cannot find it in yourself to vote on issues you may personally not care about, you should at least vote on behalf of others.
