Mood:
a-okTopic: Vote 2004
I can already tell you the answer is ?NO!?
When I ask my friends if they?re going to vote this November, I hear the same thing time and again.
?It won?t matter anyway? Not worth my time? who cares??
So when I mentioned Lodi?s election, I heard responses like, ?Dixon who?? And ?Wade said Johnson!?
Yes, this is a normal conversation with some of my friends, (note to self: ?get new friends?.)
All kidding aside, this is a reality of how the youth, not only in Lodi but in this country feel about voting.
A few weeks ago, News-Sentinel Editor Rich Hanner joined me on my cable show to discuss this topic.
Going into the shows, I regularly notify the teen panelists of the subject day?s in advance. This was the first time I have ever had a topic that teenagers couldn?t talk to death! Throughout the show, the teens sat there dumbfounded, jaws in laps and drool hitting the floor. I thought if I didn?t hurry and start asking simple questions, some show guests were going to start falling asleep.
So I moved to an easy question, ?If you could relate to John Kerry or President Bush, who do you feel you could relate better with??
I received oddball answers that didn?t make much sense. ?I?m not one for going out and talking to a President and knowing them?err? relating to them, uh??
That is an actual quote from a teen on the show that day.
Rich Hanner put the question in a form any teen could understand, (God bless him).
?If you could have a cup of coffee with either Bush or Kerry, which gentlemen would you rather sit down and have a cup of coffee with?? Hanner said.
Immediately the teens rang out, ?Bush!? ?Kerry!?
Needless to say I felt like the show was more about the views of Mr. Hanner and I.
Believe me, if there is anything I strive to make my television show, it?s not by any means about me. It?s a teen show focused towards teens, with teens and about teens.
But this was pathetic.
But Rich Hanner summed it up pretty well with his soft spoken words that meant a lot to the teens there that day.
?You guy?s really should think about voting and getting out there to learn about the candidates. It?s your future and you should have a say in it.?
The politically brain-dead teenagers shook their heads in agreement.
It was an eye opening day.
36% of Americans age 18-30 didn?t vote in the 2000 election.
Thirty-six percent! A staggering number to say the least.
Now that?s for the U.S. election, just think about local government. Lodi?s City Council is like a foreign body to some teens in this community. Do you realize that half of my friends don?t have a clue as to who the Mayor is?
?Former police Chief Larry Hansen?? I say with a sarcastic tone.
?Oh yeah that guy,? a friend replies.
So who is Dixon Flynn, Bob Johnson, JoAnne Mounce, Pastor Steve Jarrett and Stephen Mackey?
Well friends these fine folks are running for city council, the city council of Lodi that is!
All of these candidates look to have a great view and purpose for wanting to run for city council, according to their websites they?re mostly all in it for the same thing. They all like Lodi and want to keep things great. Well to that I say, wonderful.
But now who are you going to vote for? There's only so many seats open on the council and you have to make a decision.
Pluses and minuses are everywhere concerning these folks, but it?s up to you, no matter how old to decide.
I am rallying my friends to vote, rally yours.
It?s a shame we don?t have more participation in such a wonderful exercise of freedom.
It?s time to get out from under the rock we?ve all been living under and start doing some homework.
It?s time to decide who will make decisions for you.
Posted by Columnist Wade
at 12:11 AM PDT
Updated: Thursday, September 23, 2004 12:29 AM PDT
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Updated: Thursday, September 23, 2004 12:29 AM PDT
Post Comment | View Comments (1) | Permalink | Share This Post