I have to take issue with the rampant bashing of those who identify themselves as “apathetic” by some letter writers.
I will first get it out of the way that I am a Political Science major and consider myself generally informed on the issues, and as such would certainly not qualify as “apathetic.” So hopefully having said that, I will be able to buy myself some credibility among the political snobs out there.
There is a reason people are apathetic. Everyone has their own, but I imagine that basically it boils down the fact that it’s not really that they don’t care, it’s just that they’re okay with the status quo as it exists now. They don’t have a huge problem with anything that’s going on, and as such they aren’t driven to change it, or to identify themselves with any given political group.
Sooner or later, however, they’re going to realize that they do have a problem with something. Maybe they’ll hurt themselves and suddenly be interested in health care. Maybe they’ll get sued and suddenly be interested in tort reform. Who knows?
But, I can tell you one thing: being ostracized and denounced as slothful and ignorant does not make anyone want to join the fray of political discussion and debate. If anything, it’s just another reason to make them want to not take a position at all.
There is one thing that everyone who is politically active has in common, no matter what their affiliation: they all want to change something. If they didn’t they wouldn’t be there. The tension arises between the aligned and unaligned because the aligned cannot believe that the unaligned don’t have a problem with the way things are now. And, in suggesting that the “apathetic” do not deserve to participate in democracy anyway they undermine the very essence of the democratic system: the fact that everyone has a voice. Not voting may not be the most effective way to use your voice, but it’s still just as valid as any other option.
Let’s all try to keep that in mind before we disqualify others’ opinions.
Peter D. Jorgensen CAS ’06
(336) 471-7008