29 Jul 2004

In response to an editorial, "Voting is sexy and cool", praising P.Diddy's "Citizen Change" campaign to appeal to the young to vote, through rock music;
Syracuse Post-Standard, 26 Jul 2004
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Low voter turnout is not the problem.

To the Editor:

There is nothing wrong, in itself, with a low voter turnout. Your editorial, "Voting is sexy and cool", 26 Jul 2004,
discusses using rock music to entice young voters as a remedy to a nonexistent problem.

It will not help the community or the country for the young or for anybody else to vote in ignorance. Nothing magical happens when the number of voters increases. Some non-voters are aware of this; others may have figured out that the result the election is not going to affect them. Many, perhaps a majority, simply don't care.

In none of the above cases is anything useful accomplished by coercing these persons to the polls. Nor are these persons to be faulted for not voting. Activists who tell non-voters that it is their "duty" to vote are public nuisances.

Not knowing or caring about civic issues is a serious lapse in social responsibility; failure to vote is probably no more than a symptom. Rather than exhorting the young to vote, encourage them to help in their communities and to learn about their governments. Good citizens will likely vote, but voting does not make one a good citizen.

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© 2004 Halway Systems

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