PROBLEMS WITH INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS
Ignorance and Indifference: Some people are unaware of the extent of the damage and contamination being done to the environment. Some people simply choose to ignore the bad news because it really has no immediate effect on their lives and they can’t be bothered.
Many people look up to industry leaders and government officials without questioning their authority. Many people feel that efforts to protect the environment are a waste of time, money and effort because they live their lives relatively unaffected by the fouling of the environment and because industry and government leaders think that not much should be done to protect the environment. Industry leaders want to reverse any environmental regulations that restrain their profit levels.
Democratic Disconnect: Theoretically, politicians who win elections represent the people of the country and do what is best for the society. In practice this doesn’t happen because there is a breakdown between the American people and their representative government officials in Washington DC. This disconnect occurs because many people don’t vote, and many people who do vote do a poor job of it.
Low Voter Turnout: People stay home on voting day because they feel disenfranchised, unconcerned, or they are just plain lazy. In 2004, national voter turnout in federal elections was 55%. In the mid-term elections of 2002 it was 37%.
Disenfranchised: Voters feel disenfranchised for the following reasons: 1) people think that politicians running for office are incompetent and so people prefer not to participate in such a flawed system, 2) people think that their vote is only one of 300 million so why bother to vote because it won’t make a difference, 3) people think that the voting process forces them to choose between the lesser of two evils, so they decide not to choose at all, 4) people only get two choices in an election and both alternatives more or less think the same (i.e., they’ll both spend 400 billion on defense) 5) by the time someone has made it to a presidential election they have been so heavily financed by special interests that they are far too corrupted by the political system—they will probably keep things essentially the same, 6) thanks to the electoral college, many people live in states that vote for the same political party again and again so your vote doesn’t count because you already know which way the state will vote (sometimes the person who wins by popular vote loses the election), and 7) in the primaries, after the fourth state, people already know who the winner of the primary will be before they get a chance to vote on the candidate.
Unconcerned: People think that society’s problems have been happening for decades, and it’ll never change or get fixed. People feel a sense of complacency in national matters. Their self-satisfaction and unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies prohibits them from voting.
Laziness: Why bother? People have better things to do.
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Voting Negligently: When people do go to vote, they do a bad job of coming to a decision because they like their lives the way they are so they vote to retain the incumbent and keep things as they are. Many people don’t make an effort to do the research necessary to enable them to vote smartly, they vote for selfish reasons, they vote for greedy reasons, or they wholly believe advertisements paid for by the candidates.
Lack of Effort: Many people are lazy and don’t take the time to learn about the issues underlying an election from reliable sources. Many people form their political opinions through the consumption of entertainment (they hear what Jay Leno thinks about a certain issue or they hear an actor take a political position and take the same side of the argument). Many people think that if a certain individual has reached a level of fame and notoriety that that somehow qualifies them to represent us—flawed assumption! Many people vote solely by the candidate’s political party without taking into account underlying issues. These are shortcuts that make one appear knowledgeable and feel good about voting without having to make an effort to learn about the individual issues and make a well-informed choice.
Selfishness: Many people would never vote for a candidate who would consider reducing or taking away luxuries and comforts they enjoy. Many people will vote for candidates who promise to maximize their comfort and conveniences regardless of the negative consequences. Many people vote for candidates who would sacrifice the lives of American soldiers in military interventions for the purpose of domestic economic stability. Many people who derive their livelihood from harmful industries such as petroleum and chemicals vote for candidates who ensure the continued governmental support of their industry.
Greed: Many people vote for the fellow that will reduce their taxes.
Marketing Influence: Many people are greatly influenced by campaign advertisements that they view on television and they vote accordingly.
Status Quo: Many people oppose progress and reform so they vote for the incumbent. Incumbents usually have a striking advantage; in 2004 only seven of the House of Representatives’ 435 members failed to win re-election.
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The Truth Hurts
Lousy Voter Syndrome: Not everyone suffers from lousy voter syndrome, but the responsible voter is in the minority.
Neglected Children: Neglected children have a higher likelihood of growing up to be irresponsible, dysfunctional adult members of our democratic society that suffer from greed, shallowness, selfishness, gullibility, laziness and complacency. Neglected children grow up to be lousy voters which contributes to the breakdown of our democratic system.
Divorce: When marriages break up, or fail to form in the first place, women and children are the ones most likely to suffer. Unmarried women are dramatically poorer than those who are married; and it is women, not men, who financially suffer most from divorce. This is because women still want to take primary responsibility for the care of their children. When their marriage breaks up, they nearly always want custody of their children--a costly decision. One third of all children growing up in America today are being raised in households headed only by a mother, and one half of all kids will live in a single-parent household before they are eighteen. There's now little disagreement about the toll divorce and single parenthood take upon children. Children who grow up without the continuous presence of both mother and father are twice as likely to drop out of school as children raised by both biological parents. They are also more likely to become addicted to drugs and alcohol, to commit crimes, to never seek higher education, and to have more difficulty sustaining relationships. Young women who grow up without fathers are two and a half times as likely to get pregnant in their teens. One could go on and on.
Do Something About It: If you’re thinking to yourself, “Yea, that’s me”, then PUT A STOP TO IT! Overcome your denial. Like-minded people voting responsibly is the only way to solve many of these problems. The solution starts with the individual, with you.