Disappointed

Let me preface this post by saying that it is related to politics, and is probably not going to be funny or satirical, so if you are 1- Closed minded or 2- Terminally conservative or liberal for that matter, I would discourage you from reading further.

I am not a citizen of the United States of America. I was born in the UK, and am reluctant to denounce the nation in which I was born until I am truly prepared to do so completely. I am, however, passionately patriotic. I love this nation. I believe that the framers of the constitution were guided by God Himself. I minored in political science because I was fascinated by the perfect system of checks and balances. I know the words to all verses of the national anthem and proudly sing them whenever the opportunity arises. I get emotional when I see the troops in harm's way to protect the freedom. Perhaps most disturbingly, I understand more about this nation's political process than the people who can more rightly call this their government.

This nation was born of a small motley band's desire for one thing; a voice. They believed that taxation without representation was condemnable enough to go to war. They valued their voice, their freedom above their own lives, and thousands upon thousands have bled dry to defend that same freedom. One of the greatest representations of this freedom is the political process, and yet millions of us willingly sacrifice our voice through inaction.

People will offer numerous excuses for their lack of engagement in the political process, but the most common (and most disturbing) excuse is "I just don't know enough about the issues." This is an unfortunate dismissal of our most fundamental freedom. The freedom of information is critical to keeping the government in check. The constitution was first amended with "unfettered press" to ensure that whatever the government does, someone is watching. Yet what are we watching? Not the painfully objective journalism of our grandparents' era, but rather the egotistical rantings of self-centered pundits. I will not name any particulars, but it is disturbing when cable news' "most watched program" is not true journalism, but rather an hour long editorial, a platform for spouting propaganda and opinion, driven not by a desire for truth and protection of freedom, but rather by the almighty advertising dollar, and the ratings that drive it.

This is not a condemnation of all news outlets, as many are exceptional and passionately uphold the tenets of the journalistic profession. What is disappointing is the younger population's increasing disinterest and disengagement in the political process. In an age where information is more easily available than in any other time in the nation or even planet's history, to simply excuse one's self from the civic duty to vote due to being uninformed is disgusting and should not be tolerated.

It is time that we as a nation get angry. All of us. Angry about global warming. Angry about deficit spending. Angry about the politicization of the supreme court. Angry about pork barrel politics. Angry about partisan squabbling. Angry about obscene lobbyist influence. Angry about a dilapidated zoo. The list could be infinite, the point is that there is something that most all of us is angry about, or would be if we took the time to learn just a little. This anger is what representative democracy is about. The vehicle to expedite this change has been given us by birthright, but it falls to us to drive this vehicle through participation in the political process.

My hope is that if nothing else, you appreciate the significance of your right to vote, and remember as you pull a lever, mark a card, or touch a screen, that countless people before you fought, bled and died to give you that privilege. Participate in the political process, even if only in a small way. If you did not register to vote in time for this election, register as soon as possible so as not to miss another one, and look forward to when you can vote. I know that I do.