I Care.

Most of my friends don’t seem to give a shit about this year’s election, and I think that’s sad. I think it’s sad that they’re right when they say that it doesn’t seem to make a difference whether they vote or not, but there’s a catch I don’t think they see: it doesn’t make a difference because young people who don’t care don’t vote.

Older people–who generally have more assets and thus more to lose and thus tend to vote for people who tout conservative fiscal policies; in other words: Republicans–do vote. They vote in droves. So do the so-called Moral Majority, who also tend to vote for conservative politicians.

If you’re young and you feel like the politicians don’t represent you or your interests, you’re right. Because we’ve rarely supported any of the ones who do enough to get them elected. And the more conservative the voters get, the more conservative the candidates become. It’s supply and demand, people, and it’s one of the most basic marketing principles. The lack of candidates who represent us is as much our fault as the scary, oft-blamed System.

So if you don’t care, fine. But I do. And I’m not letting cynicism or apathy change that, at least not yet. I might not be able to enact change even with my best efforts, but I definitely won’t enact it if I give up. So I won’t. And you shouldn’t either. An apathetic, disinterested population is easier to control, and They know it. So as much as you think you’re bucking the System by sitting back and acting like you’re better than all of it, you’re doing exactly what They want you to do.

Change isn’t going to happen immediately, but it can happen, even if it has to occur in small steps. Slaves weren’t freed overnight. Women didn’t get the vote in a day. Some would argue that the Civil Rights movement is still going on.

We outnumber Them. We always have. As soon as we stop complaining and realize that, things will change.

I want them to change. I care.