Pause for the Cause

I recently had an interesting conversation with a democrat and a republican that bothered me. I feel that since we are nearing the presidential election that it is ok to pause from my normal beats to focus on this issue.

While hanging with a diverse group of friends, I had one friend state that he is voting for Barack because simply because the senator is black, while my other friend said he is voting for McCain because he is a republican. This caught my attention because I didn’t see a strong reason why either would chose to vote for their candidate. Then, it hit me. I googled (as always) both "youth" and "voting" and most of the topics that came up focused on getting youth to vote instead of encouraging youths to value issues that would encourage them to vote.

Exercising your right to vote is good, but finding the right reason(s) to vote is even better. Voting isn’t like deciding between a pair of shoes or betting on your favorite sports team. This is a very serious issue that decides the fate of our country whether you believe it or not.

I’ve heard the excuses that the “candidates aren’t including the youth,” but if we don’t give them a rational reason to really reach out the the yoth vote then they will never address our needs.

We should be so in tune with this election that democrats vote for a republican because their views are stronger and vice versa. I’m not saying vote outside of your political party. I’m saying that it is important to actively engage in both candidates. The opposite party may have a platform better for your future, or maybe even your party—I don’t know.

Here’s a simple solution I found that works for me. Find issues that matter to you—economy, environment, violence, abortions—and see which candidate’s platform fares the most towards your needs. If one candidate, despite party affiliation, has more to offer you as far as your needs are concerned then you have created a legitimate reason for backing that candidate.

Don’t let your parents, friends, or respective political party choose how you cast your vote. Don’t let the media influence your vote. While their opinions are always great in helping to make you aware of the issues at hand, use those opinions as grounds to help you decide. Do NOT let the opinions of others make your voting decisions for you.