In the last presidential election, record numbers of first time voters in my generation were out, in the voting booths, partaking in their democratic responsibility. It was amazing to see this many young adults getting involved in what is happening in our country and what direction that we want to see it go in. Well, what do we do with the very large group of intelligent, motivated and productive group, of all ages I might add, that don’t vote and may never vote for extremely specific reasons that are justifiable and relevant. While I was in Vegas helping Tara move back out there for school, I met one twenty eight year old that held those exact feelings.
Remember Christina and Joel from Mansfield, CT I stayed with in April? Well they have now returned to Las Vegas and when I met them for lunch, they introduced me to Joel’s cousin, Lindsey. We were getting into stories about her volunteering at an orphanage in Bolivia and then we got onto the topic of voting. She has never voted and really has no plan to vote. She isn’t lazy, un-educated or naïve, she just doesn’t feel that she has all the knowledge to make the correct decision she wants to on the candidate she feels would do the best job. We can’t ostracize her for this opinion because it is true, how do we get all of the correct information to make the decision for the candidate that we want voted in?
Today we get media fed everything. What we want to eat? Who we want to wear? And, of course, who will do the best for our local, state, and federal government? With all of that feeding, how do we use our instincts, intelligence and downright gut feeling on the things we actually want? It is interesting to wonder about what we want as this presidential election becomes more visible in our horizon. I also ask, how do we motivate people to look for the reasons why they vote one way or another. I am not saying one way is right or wrong, as long as we are voting people in for the reasons we want. That is what it is, isn’t it? Our voice.
