Don’t be an uninformed voter… when you can watch the news!
Don’t be an uninformed voter
By: JACLYNKOPEL
When I ask people who they are going to vote for on Feb. 5, I get answers such as; “I do not know and I don’t care,” or even worse, they name a candidate without giving me a valid reason as to why they are voting for him or her. They give me reasons such as he/she is white, he is black, he/she is nice, he/she is mean, my friends are voting for him/her, or my parents are voting for him/her. They know nothing about what the candidates stand for. They are voting for the future President of the United States, but have no idea what that man or woman will do or plans to do when they take office.
In my opinion, there is nothing worse than an uninformed voter. It is an extremely scary thought that a large group of Americans are potentially subjecting us to a terrible president for the next four years, simply because they thought that candidate was “nice.” Niceness does not help our economy, improve our education system, provide tax solutions, bring the price of oil down, keep terrorists at bay, stop people from dying in Iraq or here at home because of a poor health care system, nor does being nice help come up with solutions to our current environmental crisis. Voting for someone based on the color of their skin, their sex, their personality, or their looks is not a decision that will help improve our country. Only informed decisions will.
I am not asking that everyone in America stop what they are doing and focus on the race for the White House, nor am I asking people to read the 80-plus pages of each candidate’s official plans. I am simply asking that people watch the news coverage of the primaries, watch a debate, read a newspaper, go on the candidates’ websites, and/or while you are on Facebook, check out the debates. It is not necessary to watch MSNBC religiously to become knowledgeable about what is going on and to make an educated decision.
As college students, this election affects us in so many ways. This will determine policy issues that will affect our families, our college education, our jobs, our rights and our future. As a college student, you should find out what the candidates think about the FAFSA, financial aid, scholarships, college education and your intended profession. Changes in the aforementioned policies will have a great impact on you, and you’ll want to pick the candidate that will change these policies for the better. Trust me, we actually do feel the decisions made in Washington. If you are unsure where to begin, there are many websites out there that will take your opinions and will tell you which candidate shares them. You might be surprised with the results; I know I was. So go out and learn what lies beneath each candidate’s skin color, sex, personality and wardrobe.
The fate of our country lies with the voters; let us hope we make the right decision.
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CITIZEN says:
Thank you so much for your input on how to become educated voters. From what I read in your article you are instructing the masses to gather their information from the media and the words of the politicians.
Did it ever occur to you that those might be the main reasons we have a bunch of idiots electing our officials today?
