An attempt to make sense of a senseless society

Consider the fact that low voter turnout is already an issue in our country. When we tell people their individual vote doesn’t count, consider that more than one individual in this country agrees with you. I’d argue that a lot of U.S. citizens disagree with me and believe their vote doesn’t count. When we embrace this ideology, we create a culture of apathy. Why can’t activism, grassroots campaigns, door-to-door conversations and your vote make a difference?

My ultimate fear is that this sort of apathy will create a nation of don’t doers. I’m afraid that, instead of advocating for better candidates and a more just system, my generation will take the easy route: we will advocate for disregard. We will tell our friends, our loved ones and our children that we should ignore a system we are not satisfied with. If there is any time citizens should push themselves farther, push themselves to do more to change what they have, push themselves further than ever done before, it should be in the face of a poor system. On a variety of levels, see: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Malawi, Morocco, Nigeria, South Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen… and Wisconsin. History shows again and again that people are willing to sacrifice a lot to ensure they have a vote and that their vote is fair. That is activism in the name of a vote. Both are critical to the end result of changing a system and it’s why I take voting so seriously. I feel privileged to have the right to vote and I can thank the men and women before me who fought to change the system so I can have my vote.

(Source: sophielillyan-xoxo)