When students are getting involved in politics, it is a wonderful thing. Apathy for our system in the United States is somewhat understandable - but it's also frightening when you consider that these people are the future of our nation.
I like talking to people and learning from other perspectives, so I will occasionally try to strike up a discussion on some of the issues currently facing this country. I find that a lot of people have no idea what's going on in areas that are either affecting them now - such as taxes - or on issues that will affect us all down the road - such as Social Security. For somebody who likes to stay up-to-date on politics, this is frustrating.
There is one topic, though, that almost everyone you talk to will have an opinion on. It is the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most people know somebody who has served or is currently serving in the military. When we hear about soldiers killed in the line of duty, they are often our age. This is an example of something in our government that directly affects us, but there are many other issues that affect all of us and that we should care about enough to get into politics to fight for those causes.
There are so many ways to get involved in politics - even while you are still at college. For one, there are numerous on-campus organizations. Beyond that, with the primaries right around the corner, you could volunteer to help with a local politician's campaign.
It doesn't have to be complicated, though. If you want to be an informed voter, all you have to do is get online and look at the Web sites of the candidates and their parties. Learn what makes up the differences between the parties. Learn the Democrats' stance toward gun control or the Republicans' stance on tax reform. Then see what your candidates think about those issues and more.
Our voting numbers in this country are low, but I'm OK with that. If we were required by law to go to the polls, people would not vote for the right reasons. Don't get me wrong - I'd love to see a 90 percent turnout at the polls. But at least I know the majority of Americans who actually go to the polls now are doing so because they want to see progress.
Hundreds of thousands of brave and strong Americans have served and many have died so we can continue to have elections. I think this is why political apathy bothers me. The privilege of participating in our nation's political process is something we take for granted. In many nations, dictators rule for decades, and the people have no voice. This is the case in nations like Cuba, North Korea and - up until 2003 - Iraq.
I'm not telling you our political system is perfect - it most certainly isn't. There are things about our government we all want to change. But the only way to do this without destroying what our forefathers worked so hard for is to get involved.
You can ask yourself this question: Politics affects me every day, but do I affect politics?
Then, get out there and make a difference.
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