In 4 months...
We will be voting for the next President of the United States. Are you planning on voting? If not, read these facts (taken from Rock the Vote):
- 4,039 Americans have been confirmed killed in Iraq since the war began in March 2003. An estimated 47,677 Iraqis have died since the Shiite-led government was announced in April 2005. Iraq Coalition Casualty Count
- One in three African American men will be imprisoned in their lifetime, compared to one in five Latinos and one in twenty Caucasian men. In 2004, one in twelve African Americans were denied the right to vote because of a felony conviction. US DOJ and www.DrugWarFacts.org
- According to 2007 reports, adults ages 20-24 have the highest rate of unemployment in the country at 8.2%, more than twice that of the national average. They are followed by 25-34 year olds at 4.7%. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Glaciers are now melting twice as fast as they were in 2004, threatening fresh water access for people in the Himalayas, Andes, and the Western United States. UN Environmental Programme
- Food prices are rising all over the world, causing riots in Egypt and the Philippines, and forcing a record-high 28 million Americans to rely on food stamps. NY Times March 2008
- Today an average student will graduate with twice as much debt as a student ten years ago; today's average job pays less than it did ten years ago. Campus Progress
- The Iraq War is expected to cost tax payers $3 trillion. With that money we could give Medicaid Level Health insurance to every uninsured American at $3,067 per person. Or we could buy 142 million Americans energy-efficient hybrid cars. Or we could send 20 million students to college. www.3trillion.org
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1 comment:
If you need to be convinced to vote, refrain. Simply casting a ballot isn't fulfilling your civic duty. Real voting requires some sort of investment, intellectually, in the topics one is voting for.
If you're simply going to vote in order to vote, you're doing everyone a disservice, especially those of us that do put in the time to at LEAST read a newspaper semi-frequently. I don't want your vote canceling my vote.
There is nothing dishonorable in abstaining, especially if you do not know anything about the material. I think this is just as good of an option as being engaged and voting, at least pragmatically (though ideally, everyone would care).
The worst thing you can do is act as some sort of lever-pulling monkey simply trying to get the "I voted" sticker.
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