“Vote or Die,” said P. Diddy, a pop-culture icon of this generation.
He could not be more right. Campaigns, voting issues, amendments and other election-related topics have been covered this year in The Chronicle.
Readers know each of the opinion columnists’ stances on nearly every issue.
Now it’s your time to decide. Today you have the potential to change the world through your vote.
Columnists have argued in this paper that “not voting is a pure form of civil disobedience.” That statement alone is not only completely wrong, but also sad.
The argument against voting is that voting is simply a game. The idea that this argument stands on is that “The rules of the game state everyone who votes will also agree to support the one with the most votes.” This could not be less true.
Casting your vote shows support for the person who would do the best job in the office for which he or she is running. But the idea that you are required to support the outcome of the election is simply audacious.
What of “Fahrenheit 9/11” and the rest of mainstream Hollywood that has not supported our president?
What about the protests and rallies that happened during the last election season as well as during the president’s tenure? Democracy is built on the idea of never settling and working constantly to have the best person in office.
It is critical that every registered voter should actually go to the polls.
Voting is not just a right. Voting is part of our obligation to our country and fellow citizens, even to the world community as a whole. Those who choose to vote, but still do not get their candidate of choice elected, have still made a difference simply by showing their support.
Young people are more active this year than ever. We set record numbers during the primary elections.
Now is our time to shine. It is time for us to stand up and be counted. Candidates spend millions each year sucking up to groups other than us because we’ve never come out in record numbers. If we can get out the vote, we’ll watch the issues we care about come forward like never before.
I believe this is one of the most heated and controversial election seasons ever. Gay marriage, war, oil, the poor, the rich, taxes, the environment and hundreds of other issues have been brought to the limelight in an unprecedented scale.
It is absolutely critical that each of you go to your polling place and cast a vote for something. The future of our country and way of life depends on that simple motion.