Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

COLUMN: In the grand scheme, voting does not matter
By Melissa Medley
Daily Toreador (Texas Tech)
02/25/2008

(U-WIRE) LUBBOCK, Texas — Elections are approaching rapidly, and I have decided to just sit them out. My mother and father severely will be disappointed in me, but I don't care. My brothers and sisters will stop talking to me, but I just can't go through with it again this year.

I am tired of putting forth a minimal effort to make a significant difference in my life and the lives of others. I am just plum exhausted from thinking about politics and making the world a better place. So this election season, I am taking the high road and ignoring my right to vote. Yes, P. Diddy, I am going to die. But aren't we all?

Before I receive loads of angry letters and e-mails, I would like to explain myself. In regards to the upcoming student government elections, I just don't see the point. It's not like anything we vote on can actually make a difference in the university.

Take the leisure pool initiative from last year as an example. Many students did not vote either for or against the legislation, and many were disappointed with the final outcome.

This legislation is a bad example anyway, because the pool only is costing around $10 million. And it's not like this issue still is affecting Tech students with any kind of fee increase that the Student Senate passed.

Putting major pieces of legislation aside, it doesn't really even matter who is elected to the Student Senate. All the people running are basically the same, right? And it isn't like those in the Student Senate write important legislations like the leisure pool initiative we voted on. Also, the Senate doesn't really have the power to make major changes like with what happens to our bus routes off campus.

The national elections are even more pointless to vote in than student government. There are so many people voting that a handful of votes can't make that big a difference. Just look at what happened in the 2000 presidential elections. It isn't like a few votes really made a difference there. And the current primaries, especially the Democratic ones, are already pretty closed up with the nominations. So voting on March 4 can't really be that big a deal.

I think I will take this new frame of mind to an entirely new level and never vote again. My opinion doesn't matter that much because I am a college student, and therefore, I am without the proper education and opinions to actually vote. All the candidates are exactly the same anyway - especially this year.

All politicians are just white guys in suits in the end. In terms of legislation, that I have voted on ever has affected me directly. It's not like the government has control over my money, protection or education. I just have stopped worrying about it all.

Now I just will live my life in a carefree, "no concerns about it" way. I no longer will share my opinion about anything because there is nothing I can change with it. No voice ever really made that big of a change in America. I think my time would be better spent by doing my hair or nails instead of researching issues and candidates and then driving all over town to go vote.

Besides, if voting really did make a difference, where would American society be? Issues would improve and people would get jobs, unless they worked in the media.

The people who report only bad things might have to find other - more interesting - stories to write about or risk job loss. And most importantly, if I voted, and the candidates and issues I voted for came through, what would I complain about?

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