Today as I was driving, I noticed a sign that said "Stop the Trains. Vote to Repeal." This got me to thinking. I can honestly say that I do not pay enough attention to local news to know that this sign is really talking about. I barely pay attention to National or World news. Don't get me wrong, I am not completely ignorant. I just choose what things I want to know about.
As my thoughts continued to wander around in my brain I began thinking about the dissonance in our culture when it comes to voting. We are a fast food culture. We want things now. We don't give most things the time of day if they are not presented quickly and in an interesting manner. We skip commercials. We TiVo our shows. We barely listen to radio. There are some of us whose only source of news may come from blogs or the limited amount of websits that we have patience for. The process of voting seems stuck in the past, world's away from our current world.
We are busier than ever. Who has time to run somewhere to vote? I am relatively young, so my experiences in voting are rather limited. But they haven't been good experiences. In order to vote, I most likely have to take off from work. I have to figure out where I am supposed to vote. I have to wait in long lines. And then I am supposed to vote for people and issues I may have limited knowledge about.
Sure I should be a good citizen and do the research myself so I am knowlegdable enough to vote. But this seems so counterintuitive to the rest of my life. Voting should be easier (maybe it is and I just am uninformed). Why can't we vote online or via text message? Why can't we have a website where ALL of the issues and candidates are spelled out for us. It should be easier for the general public and it should fit into our current culture.
Am I just totally off base? What are your thoughts?
Hey Cheree,
ReplyDeleteI wrestle with a lot of the same apathy. I'm having to pick between one greedy politician and another. Even if there is a good one out there, he'll get smeared unrecognizably by his opponents so that you wouldn't really know it.
Even so, I think we are too disconnected. We have the option of only being around things and people that we want, and I'm convinced that's a bad thing, to some extent.
Generally, though, if you really want to learn about candidates, there will be websites, or an article in the newspaper that spells out where candidates stand on certain issues.
Hope all is well for you two.
Thanks for your incite Mark. I think part of my problem is there is so much going on in my own life that it is hard to take the time to research something that doesn't seem to affect me directly.
ReplyDeleteI definitely should make more effort, but there are so many things vying for my attention every day!