We Are Being Held Hostage by Apathy

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/articles/03/11/19_apathy.html

This reminds me of a Non Sequitur strip that ran just before (I think) the 2000 election. One line went something like this:

"Presidential elections are too important to be left in the hands of couch potatoes who only pick up a newspaper to see where the new Shwarzenegger movie is playing. If you can't be bothered to find out what's going on, I say it's your patriotic duty to keep your uninformed butt on the couch."

Ms. MacElveen only has it half right. It's every citizen's duty to not just vote, but vote responsibly. If you've done your homework, checked the facts, and honestly beleive Bush is the right choice to lead America, it's your decision and I say more power to you. If you vote for Clark just because you think he looks good in a uniform, hey, it's no skin off my nose but you're really not doing yourself any favours.

[Nadienne]

1. "not doing yourself any favours"

Or anyone else any favours! That kind of shallowness and superficiality is what bu** sh** is counting on.

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

2. Well, my point was

that it's wrong to make a shallow and superficial vote, even if the person you're backing is a good choice<1>. If you're not going to make a decision based on what you honestly think is good for your country, then you have no business voting.

<1>Note: I'm not actually a Clark supporter; not being American, I don't really care who wins as long as it's someone reasonably progressive. I just chose that name because a lot of people on here support him.

[Nadienne]

3. Sorry

I think in my anti-bush zeal, I didn't catch what I should have caught... And I didn't post an articulate response, anyway.

But I guess since, in my opinion, everything about bush is phony and deceiving, I tend to assume that those who support him are only interested in the shallow details, that they don't do any real looking at the facts.

(I know, I know, "when you assume, you make an ass out of u and me")

It is true that there are some who had good reason to vote for bush. for example, his corporate friends...

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

4. Oh, I never said you were wrong.

I agree completely that most people who support Bush are probably doing so for pretty shallow reasons, and most people who do their homework will probably realize that reelecting him won't be good for the country.

All I'm saying is, when you pick your vote, you should take the time to research the candidates and choose the one you think is best for the country, rather than the one you recognize most from TV.

Now, in the case of this particular election, I think that most people who vote responsibly will probably vote against Bush, no question of that. But that wasn't really the point of my post. My point was, no matter who you vote for, make sure you arrived at your decision after careful consideration. It's not your civic duty to just "get out there and vote," although that is important. Your real civic duty is to do your homework and make sure you're voting for the person who you honestly believe is the best choice to lead your country.

[TXvote]

5. Break The Chains of Apathetic Opression

I have spent years encouraging participation in our democracy. I have educated, encouraged, pleaded, and even tried to shame citizens into voting. Then I had an epiphany or sorts. I looked around to see what was missing. I asked myself "How do I get the apathetic to the voting booth?" and I came up with an idea that had not yet been tried: shamelessly cute bubble gum marketing 100% preach free to entice Americans to just register. I believe that by creating a culture of fun that helps people start a dialogue will result in A. more voters and B. a better democracy. Once they have registered, there are millions of resources to get educated.
Thus VoterVirgin: Everybody's Doin It In '04 was born.
Check out my attempt to bring the apathetic off the couch at www.votervirgin.com and let me know what you think.

Peace,
Teresa