Nov162006
One person, one vote, one difference
Filed under Uncategorized by jennifer o'callaghan at 10:53 am
I check in on the Philly blogs and sites now and then. My roots are in the Keystone State, and I am a firm believer in not forgetting where you come from.
Every once in a while, in between updates on the good restaurants I could never afford and the blogs about the 76ers or the Eagles, neither of which I root for, or some rant about the art museum and the Rocky statue, I find a gem.
The most recent is through Clark DeLeon of the Daily DeLeon. Clark teaches English composition at Montgomery County Community College. Upon learning that only six of his 60 students in the class had registered to vote, Clark asked his charges to write a response to the following question:
Since March of 2003, more than 2,800 American men and women have died in Iraq trying to bring democracy to that country. Tell those dead Americans why you chose not to vote this year.
He posted one answer, from a young woman who lives with her parents in Telford. You should really check the whole thing out here — it is magnificent. But here’s a taste:
I don’t vote because I don’t pay attention. I decide not to learn about the candidates and what they stand for. I skip over the political news articles and dismiss the signs scattered along the roadside. Whenever I try to take the easy way out by asking others about the candidates I get biased opinions. I don’t want to vote for someone simply because others told me to. I believe a half-hearted attempt is worse than no attempt at all.
I say that I can never make a difference. The greatest lie I have ever spoken. With enough people telling the same lie a difference will never be made. We are all part of this country and need to work together to keep it running properly and efficiently or else we’ll just start to fall apart. It may have seemed at times that your country forgot you, but we have not. It’s the assholes like me that put that thought into your mind, and it’s people like me that you need to bury underneath all those who actually support you and our country. I owe you all my freedoms and luxuries, yet I act like I owe you nothing. I could easily go on defense and argue my innocence but that would be a pointless battle. No one is exempt from giving back, and working to keep this country what it is.
Still reading? The election is over and the votes have been tallied.
Did you vote?
Why?
Why not?
What is your excuse for the lack of involvement in our country?
What drives you to make a difference?
Think about it.
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