Americas Voting Culture; We Need It

Hello all.

Here's the thing. In America, people care about voting. Yes, this causes screaming matches and stupidity and people ill-formulated opinions, but at least they care. The build-up is omnipotent, unavoidable even. Everywhere you turn you are confronted with the question of who to vote for.  I will admit the race is very sensationalized, you get a sense of rooting for opposing characters in a soap instead of real people, but it's engaging to say the least.

However, in the UK we don't have this. Over here there seems to be a kind of political apathy, as though everybody has already given up. Granted, we are a nation famed for our pessimism and our cynicism, but this is not acceptable. It would not suit us to go around creating huge spectable debates in which people stride around and scream, but would it kill everyone to, I don't know, get excited?

I mean we fought for this right. Women fought, the working classes fought, the young fought. Most of us have been denied the vote at some point, and now we're wasting it. I keep hearing people say things like "They're all rubbish, I don't care" or "It's one vote, it doesn't make a difference." To this I have one thing to say:

That. Is. No. Excuse.

Newsflash: Things are not going to change on their own! If you have the way the government is now, you have a chance to change it, by voting! Yes, your vote is just one in millions, but if everybody thought that way no-one would vote, and then the entire system would wither and die. Even if you hate all parties, voting for the one you hate least will at least show the party that you care, which will encourage them to focus on your demographic and make things better for YOU!

And here's the kicker. I'm too young to vote. I won't be able to vote this or next year. And yet I really wish I could. This is why, when other people talk about their vote as though its pointless or a burden, it really upsets me and makes me lose faith. So, in the words of the Vlogbrothers, You Must Vote.

((The Words That Shine project is going well, but I could use your help. See previous post. America, I wish you luck with your election, and you have my condolences for Sandy. Personally, I'm rooting for Obama.))

Stay Involved,
Your Skye