Maegan Carberry Carberry is a third-year
political science student. E-mail her at maegs@ucla.edu.
Click Here for more articles by Maegan Carberry
With all the hype from last Tuesday’s presidential
election, many people have found themselves asking if their votes
(or even their actions) really count in the American political
system. This question has always been debated, but it has become
particularly interesting in light of the highly dramatic way in
which it was showcased on Nov. 7.
Regarding this issue, most people feel that cynicism is the
perfect blanket to hide under. And why not hide? As long as voters
have decided that nothing can be done to make a difference, apathy
and self-interest are the most logical attitudes to adopt.
People make the pessimistic decision to abstain from
participating in the political process (and to certain degrees,
mere community building) all the time. The people in Florida who
stayed home to watch old “Seinfeld” reruns who are now
kicking themselves, and the marked decline of associations in
today’s communities are examples. This kind of broad-scale
apathy is something that activist groups are continually
battling.
No American citizen has a legitimate excuse for not voting. Even
frequently used “good” reasons are just lame excuses.
“I had to work,” “It was inconvenient to
register,” and “I don’t believe in voting”
do not count when we are adults. Adults who benefit from what
society offers them have a responsibility to give back to it. This
does not mean that everyone needs to be a public servant or spend
hours volunteering. But it is certainly easy enough to dedicate two
hours to learn the issues of an election and make a decision. And
it only takes about 10 minutes to exercise your right to vote and
establish a position with a group in the process.
What about working moms, you ask? What about poor people who
can’t afford to leave work even for 10 minutes? What if
campaigns and their ridiculous candidates are biased? What if
America is so corrupt that I’m disgusted and I want to show
these politicians (be sure to say that word with an indignant
sneer) that I don’t want to be a part of their games
anymore?
These are just more excuses, ladies and gentlemen! One of the
reasons politicians wield so much power in the first place is
because such a small percentage of eligible voters actually vote.
The smaller the sample, the easier it is to affect the outcome. I
feel for parents who need to get home to their kids. I agree with
the people who hate scuzzy politics. Sometimes, even I feel like
taking a shower after watching 10 character-assassination campaign
ads on TV.
 Illustration by ZACH LOPEZ/Daily Bruin
But I cannot get past my belief that citizens have a
responsibility to actively participate in the political process.
The nation provides for you ““ and you owe it something. It
may not always provide fairly, but the beautiful thing about our
Constitution is that we can organize on a grassroots level and
affect change.
No one said reform was easy. Why should it be? Would you have
any respect for it if it was? If the Supreme Court changed their
constitutionally grounded positions every time a new president was
elected, the United States would lose its legitimacy.
There are those who think that the United States is not as
legitimized in its existence as it would like to think. Some see it
as a nation of deeply offensive racism and classism. Others see it
as a playground for corporate money hoarding. Some see it as a
nation with an overinflated ego that likes to stick its nose in
international business where it doesn’t belong.
You know what? It’s all of those things, and I’ll be
the last to tell the people who despise America that these awful
things do not exist in this “benevolent empire.”
To deny that hate and problems exist in America is to be
incredibly naÃve. But to take that kind of sentiment to heart
and say “I’m not going to vote because I can’t
change anything and I don’t count” enrages me.
This nation is everything and then some. I remember being a
senior in high school travelling to Washington, D.C. for the first
time and feeling a deep, burning pride in everything that
surrounded me. I know our history is a story told by white men. I
know America has never been a place of freedom for all people. But
in America, you get to forge your own destiny.
I see a lot of you reaching for your keyboards now to argue with
me. I am far from thinking that everyone has the same starting
point in the determination of their own destiny. There are some
citizens who have been born into situations that are not fair or
equal. Some have much more to overcome than others and that’s
not right.
Don’t live in a fairy tale. Life is hard and it’s
not fair. The difference is that in America you can fight for
what’s yours. If you want to affect change in a situation, it
can be done. But it’s not easy and too many people are not
willing to put in the work that it takes to be successful.
It’s the “microwave mentality” that I can get
whatever I want, almost immediately, in a user-friendly way. Real
victories are not earned that way. They are earned through sweat,
sacrifice and many defeats along the way. Everyone has their own
roadblocks. But I would not be eating in a restaurant with black
people or voting for Dianne Feinstein as my senator if someone
hadn’t felt passionately and been willing to sacrifice for
what they believed in.
What I want to know is, after last week’s presidential
election, how can people still think their votes don’t count?
It’s fair to say that politicians are tugged by corporations
and interest-groups. It’s fair to say that candidates are
merely puppets of their respective parties. It is even fair to
argue that the real issues of the campaign were muted or avoided.
Where were a woman’s right to choose or Supreme Court
appointments hiding?
But when it comes down to it, we all had an opportunity to do
something. I’m still a little bitter toward those of you who
opted to “do something” by voting for Ralph Nader
““ but at least you carried out your responsibility as a
citizen. Voting and participating is the responsibility of every
citizen. If your glass is half empty, toss some ice cubes in it and
see if they melt. Maybe they’ll get you above the half-way
mark.
As far as I’m concerned, last week’s election was a
widescale kick in the pants. It was a revitalizing validation of
the importance of political involvement. And if you want to stay
home and do something you think is more important than being a
functioning and active member of your society, than do the rest of
us a favor and stay there. We have HomeGrocer.com now, and you
don’t ever have to leave.
Stay wrapped up in your little box and continue to be selfish.
Because the rest of us have a lot of work to do.