The biggest waste of time in the modern world
Forrest Stout
Issue date: 9/28/05 Section: Opinion
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Particularly, we've heard a lot about terrorism and the idea from many that democracy in the Middle East is the key to ending terrorism.
In fact, now that we haven't found any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, America's reason for this war is to set up a democratic nation in the Middle East.
Furthermore, the past few years have shown a huge surge in the number of self proclaimed "patriots."
It's been quite fashionable to put American flags on our automobile antennas, etc. After all this, it seems logical that we Americans would embrace and take part in our democracy.
While this is the exact reaction I have seen from many, I was anchored in reality on Thursday when I read in the USA Today that only 47% of citizens ages 18 to 24 voted in the last election.
It takes less time to vote than it does to watch an episode of Desperate Housewives! At a time when America's banner is to spread democracy around the world, this country has a serious problem with the most basic element of its own democracy.
Our nation suffers from a love for the superficial and a huge sense of citizen isolation from our own government.
On Election Day, whomever gets the most votes wins office and runs a portion of our government until the next election. It's a very simple system, even with the Electoral College and hanging chads.
Still, I always encounter people who won't vote because they live in a solid red or blue state, so what's the point?
These people watch too much cable television news, which is quickly becoming the biggest waste of time possible in the modern world. With our current national media structure, anyone in any neck of the woods can easily escape into the national news scene and forget about the community they live, eat, and breathe in.
Fox News and CNN won't tell you what our local government is up to. A big issue in our state government has been homosexual marriage and a proposal to amend our state constitution. It's a powerful issue, and it has been a big nail-biter, but most people I speak with are completely unaware of this bill.
Similarly, our local elections were full of important topics like a federal sex offenders flophouse put here by our current sheriff.
We tend to focus what little attention we pay to government on our national government, especially the president, but these are people who are almost entirely inaccessibly to pretty much all of us.