The Associated Students of Madison stopped in my class the other day asking for new recruits. For approximately the millionth time, I tuned out their routine. Madison certainly has its share of hardcore political activists. I feel I have done an admirable job of not joining any of their cults so far.
However, the offer is more available to me than I think it should be. UW-Madison has one of the most liberal campuses in America, yet I am force-fed other people's political beliefs everywhere I go. I don't wonder why; I am merely stating how much it bothers me.
Politics bother me in general because they are about the least personal thing I can imagine, but they deal with some of the most personal concepts. Maybe it wouldn't irritate me if I believed for a second that anyone in the political spectrum cared about me, John Price, and not the number that I represent. I find that hard considering that I have never been addressed as an individual, but only as a member of the voting public. It seems we'that is each and every individual on campus'are always referred to as \citizens"" or ""voters"" or ""the student body."" I'd like to take this time to thank all the political affiliates that stood outside my dorm last year. It was so nice of them to hand me an impersonal sheet of paper telling me to vote without taking the time to even engage in polite conversation.
Since I am probably already set to get some negative response for this, I think I will add that I don't vote. Why? As I said, I don't feel that my rights as an individual are being considered. That's fine'I understand it is ridiculous to expect a large population to be seen as anything other than numbers, percentages and fractions. But it is for that reason that I don't vote. Our most important voting system, the presidential election, is based on percentages rather than individuals. I've had it explained to me why that is a good idea many times, but it still makes little sense to me.
Let's just use the Electoral College as an example. Whoever works for it is clearly capable of counting each individual vote as the popular vote is always mentioned. However, that is not the way voting works. I guess if I lived in California or Texas I would be considered more of a citizen because my vote would be more valuable. That makes sense'get people to express themselves as individuals by voting, then strip them of that by turning them into a percentage. Why bother voting if such a wonderful system is in place to possibly nullify my vote anyway?
Here's where you tell me that if I am not active in my society, then I have no right to complain about the body that governs it. If you think that, you are right, but I am not complaining about the body that governs me, per se. Actually, I feel blessed to live somewhere where I can be completely inactive and still be taken care of. After all, isn't that the American standard? Less than half the country votes for our nation's leader, but damn near every single one those who failed to ""exercise their rights"" are flag waving patriots after Sept. 11.
But I digress. My point is that though I may not be active in that which ""affects"" me, at least I recognize it. There are millions of people that say living in America is a right, but what have they done to earn it? Many people don't even vote let alone serve their country in any way. I fully acknowledge that it is one of the greatest privileges in the world to live in America. It is a privilege and not a right for those who are inactive. Consider the fact that for most people, the only thing they had to do to ""earn"" their citizenship was be born here. With that in mind, I have undying respect for each and every person who has honestly earned their right to live here by serving their country in some way. I will admit they have more integrity than I do. But I don't credit someone who merely votes and speaks their political opinion as having earned their right. Most voters vote for the party and not the person anyway. Am I the only one who finds the straight ticket concept ridiculous?
It makes sense. They may as well have an impersonal way to vote for someone as impersonal as a politician. People in politics don't care about individuals, so why should individuals care about the person they vote for? I refuse to give them the satisfaction of my vote.
Instead of being active, I sit and write opinion pieces about how much I don't want to be active. In so doing, I have become a hypocrite. Oh well, isn't hypocrisy what politics is all about?
