We live in an era of civic disengagement. It’s easier to be politically apathetic – to join what some call a “why bother?” generation – than to invest in the growth and potential power of community and state. But a democracy is only as strong as the contributions of its citizens, and its legitimacy is determined by the turnout of voters. To participate in an election is to affirm one’s state and government. The strength of state undoubtedly contributes to the strength of its individual citizens, and, aware of this connection, the choice to vote has become the choice of the educated person. Our election system challenges its citizens; the very fact that voting in the U.S. is a two-fold process, registration before ballot-casting, demands more of an aware citizen. But we must hold ourselves to a higher standard; we must contribute to a community of informed voters. That is the essence of engaged citizenship and one of the key antidotes to the disconnected, disengaged nation in which we live. The informed voter is a pillar of our nation’s democracy. Democracy is the direct result of active citizenship, so its existence validates the fight of our founding fathers for a nation in which government does not merely tolerate the voice of the people, but the people determine the government. Also, an informed population is undeniably attractive. The need to fulfill one’s duty to become better informed would inevitably lead to an increase in the enlightened interaction of peers. Discourse would become commonplace as opinions founded on fact are encouraged and naturally grow stronger. The need for the politically-educated ballot-caster is growing more acute with time, if only for what it represents. It is especially pertinent to our generation, for, by engaging now, when our country in most vulnerable, we are setting a precedent for active citizenship in our own time and in the generations of those who follow. In “Bowling Alone,” Robert Putnam relates the falling voter turnout over the past few decades to the decrease in town meeting attendance to the increasingly-archaic presence of bowling leagues at your neighborhood bowling alley. These are all concepts that fall under the grand democratic idea of building a society from the laymen up; these all contribute to an idea of the everyman’s state. We are better for my own participation in the greater cause. We are better for my dedication to community and the development of the whole. It is with the wonderful cooperation inherent in a democracy that we are also better for your community engagement. And so we leave you with this plea: please vote. Please educate yourself of the state of today’s world and the real potential of our future leaders. Please engage. Voter registration will be run by the Community Service Office at Senior Tea and various weekend events through the end of the term, including this Saturday’s Coffee House and next Friday’s Fashion Show. Email commserve@andover.edu with any questions. To register on your own, visit RockTheVote.Com. If you are a U.S. citizen and will be 18 years old by November 4, 2008, you are eligible for registration.
