Las Vegas Newspapers in Education

Students Speak Out

The Las Vegas-Review Journal Editorial Essay Program for High School Students

September Topic:
"Do Americans over the age of 18 have a duty to vote?"

FIRST PLACE WINNER
Mery Nikolova, College of Southern Nevada High School

Voting: It's not our business - it's yours
The lesser of two evils is still evil

The door has finally opened and a blur of light strikes you in the face. Congratulations, you are 18 years old. What do you do now?

In America, you are given the opportunity to do almost anything-- be featured in adult videos, smoke cigarettes, get married, become a stripper, get drafted into a war, go to jail, vote and, most importantly, be introduced to debt. That's right. I know you want to get a credit card for Mervyns, Kohl's, Macy's and Dillard's.

There are plenty of things that Americans can do, but are they the right things? Because we are given the opportunity to take off our clothes and profit from it, does that mean we should do it? We all have different values.

Take voting, for instance.

"Anything important is never left to the vote of the people," said Will Rogers. "We only get to vote on some man; we never get to vote on what he is to do." This brings up a valid point. When was the last time you shared your opinion before George Bush signed the papers? The majority of us will say never. the only interaction we get with the people we elect is through television, a newspaper, a radio, and a magazine.

This election year is all about making history. Suddenly, the American people swooned at the sight of a woman and an African-American man. I have never seen so many amused Americans." Oh, did you catch that... a woman just made a speech?" The jaws of millions dropped, the fingers rose to point at the television screen, the fainting and the "oh my Gods" began. Have we never seen a woman and an African-American speak before, especially with the diversity in America?

The rest of the presidential candidates quickly dropped out of the race. Why?

It might be because they weren't getting equal coverage. Ron Paul was the only presidential candidate in history to earn $6 million in online contributions within a 24 hour span. This was a big deal, but it was not covered as much as it should have been. The majority of people believed that Ron Paul dropped out of the race in the first quarter of 2008, when in reality he stuck around much longer. Is this fair coverage?

Do you remember high school? Yes, I'm talking about those silly elections that were held every year. Everyone running stood up and spoke out on the issues they were going to tackle. How much of that really got done once they were elected? Not much. But you voted and that is all that matters, right? Any intelligent person will get in front of millions and promise to give them the world and more. How much of that is really true? "Sarah Palin is a great speaker, therefore I would love for her and John McCain to be the two main people representing me." Really? I've come to realize that people are drawn to great speakers; great speakers can persuade the public ear to believe anything. I've received an "A": in all of the communication classes I've taken. Do you want me as your president? I promise to deliver speeches that would blow you out of your chair and make you ant to embrace the television screen.

What is currently going on? Dennis Kucinich is working on behalf of millions of Americans in order to impeach George Bush. The American public chose George Bush to represent them twice. Yes, the number of people who disapprove of his work is about an average of 65 percent. According to http://www.pollingreport.com/Bush.Job.htm, an average of 30 percent of Americans approve of his performance in the White House.

I am not saying that the American people should not vote. I am simply stating that people who do not vote are not bad people. The reasons I am not voting this year is because the two people who are running do not meet my expectations. Great public speakers do not have an impact on me, actions do. Does this make me a bad person? No, it simply means I would not vote for people who have completely different ideals than I do.

For some reason, this is hard to comprehend for some individuals. I am sure I am not the only 18 year old who will not be voting this year. Jerry Garcia once said, "Constantly choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil." It is my right to not vote. Therefore, I do not understand why this is such a debatable topic. Will the public sufferer because many people are not voting? No, it simply means that those people did not agree with the ideals of the candidates who were running for president.

If it makes you happy vote, and if it doesn't, then don't. However, do not point a finger and blame the people who didn't vote when your candidate does not win. Blame the people who voted for the candidate that you were not in favor for.

RUNNER-UP
Chey' Anne Wilson, Chaparral High School

There's this thing in American that I call freedom. Freedom to do. Freedom to be. I, as an eighteen year old student, have the freedom to vote. Is it my duty? No, I don't believe so. Many people disagree with me but I'm here to prove my point. It is a privilege, not a duty.

There are only a certain number of candidates running for office each year, so what if I don't like any of them? Is it my duty to vote for someone that I disagree with? Is it my duty to decide the lesser of the two evils and support him? If I feel a strong dislike for someone, why in the world would I step forward and help them win?

Our government is corrupt. It is corrupt because eighteen year old American students felt it be their duty to put them in office. For example, we are currently in a 2008 election and the democratic candidate is Barrack Obama. If I were a democrat, and wanted my party to win, would I vote for him even if I really preferred Hillary Clinton? I would not, but many people would. They feel it is their duty to vote. It is their5 goal to help their party win. Obama for president, because I have to vote. Because I am forced to vote. Because it is an obligation instead of a choice. I believe that elections are run in an objectible way and most parties are immoral, so I'm putting my foot down.

I am a supporter of the democratic process, so though it is not a duty, it is still a good idea to be involved.

Here is Mill in the matter. "If your vote could affect only yourself.... it would still be a question whether unless those others govern you with perfect justice, you are morally entitled to forego(sic) the right and power which a vote would give you to force them to do justice, and thereby become themselves better moral creatures. But it is not the fact that the possession of a vote would enable you only to protect yourself. Every citizen possessed of a vote is possessed of a means of protecting those who cannot vote, such as infants, the sick, idiots &c, as well as of a means of helping others who can vote to do good in every conceivable way in which just and provident legislation can affect human happiness. I am deeply persuaded that nothing but a most regrettable absence of thought on this subject can account for or even partially excuse, for wholly excuse it cannot, the very common neglect of the power of voting which prevails among gentlemen and educational persons. I am certain that a time will come when it will be felt hat a man and I need not add a woman too, because any rational creature is committing a most gross dereliction of duty when he habitually neglects o make use of this power conscientiously and at any cost of labour to himself. "

Mill takes the obligation to vote and sees it as an obligation to be politically active. Voting is not the only way to participate. I could hold rallies and demonstrations. I could write letters. I could educate others about the issues. I could run for office myself one day! I have no reason to feel pressured into voting. I do feel an obligation to be politically active, but that can be accomplished without voting. There are many ways to help out, without helping another corrupt man. It would be terrible, immoral idea to cast a selfish or prejudice vote when no vote is really necessary. Very few elections get to the point where one person's vote is the deciding factor anyways.

There is a very small probability that my vote will make a difference, positive or negative. The chance is vanishingly petite. The probability that I hit a child on my way to the voting booth is more likely if I were to vote I could truly say "If I had gone to the movies, it would have made no difference." There are enough opinionated people who support evil to vote.

So this think in America that I call freedom is a blessing. It is not my duty as an eighteen year old student to vote. I am not obligated to choose a candidate against my will. I will stand back and watch as others scramble around and elect another corrupt government, and I will be able to say "I did not help him get into office, because it is not my duty to vote."