I grew up in a home where politics was constantly being discussed. Whether it was for a general or midterm election, we would watch it from start to finish. I was taught about all of the political parties as well as both state and national leaders. During the 2016 election, I sat on the stairs past my bedtime to try to get a glimpse of what was happening. During the 2020 election, I snuck my phone under my covers, constantly refreshing the electoral map.
That said, I wasn’t surprised when kids around me weren’t as tuned into politics as I was. It was considered an older person thing. My fellow third graders were not strange for being checked out. What was weird was that as I grew up, people still weren’t becoming more involved in politics, and it started to become a slight dealbreaker in my friendships.
I wanted to hang out with people who were aware of what was going on in our country. Nonetheless, I could still have conversations with people who opposed my views or didn’t have a stance. “I don’t care to know much about that stuff,” was a common statement I heard, and I accepted it. We were still young. They weren’t interested. It was fine. I could let it slide.
Then we turned 18, and instead of hearing, “I don’t really care about politics,” I started to hear a lot more, “I’m not educated enough to speak about politics.” This always bothered me in inexplicable ways. In this most recent election, I realized what always pissed me off about the statement. It is the biggest cop-out of all time!
When people told me they didn’t care about politics, I could at least explain to them that everyone should care because it affects every aspect of our lives. But when someone says, “Oh, I would discuss politics,” or “I would vote, but I’m not educated enough,” they try to make it seem like they are making the morally correct decision. They aren’t voting because they don’t want to, but because if they did, it wouldn’t be right. People trying to get them to vote don’t get it; they’re doing the right thing.
This could make some sense if these people were actively doing anything to become educated in the first place or seeking knowledge in any way, but no. These people have been claiming to not be educated for years, and yet have done absolutely nothing about it.
Every time someone uses the education excuse, I have come to realize it is a roundabout way of saying they don’t care. They simply do not care about politics. They don’t care about the millions of people who are affected when people get voted into office. They don’t care enough to be aware of the policies that affect them, their family, and their friends. If they did realize this, they would do whatever it takes to become aware.
If you claim to be uneducated and you do care, your first course of action should be… to get educated. There are so many free online resources that can teach you everything you need to know about the different parties, specific candidates, and their beliefs. Politics controls every part of our lives, and we must do our part in making our country a better place for all of us.
If you think you do not have enough time to become educated, consider all the time you spend on social media, listening to music, watching TV, etc. Instead of doomscrolling, you should read an article. While you’re driving, play a podcast. You have so many free periods you can take advantage of so you can make the right decision on Election Day.
If you don’t think your vote matters or it won’t make a difference, realize that every single person’s vote is worth the exact same amount. In the 2024 election, the LWV reports, 40 million Gen Z citizens were eligible to vote. Yet 21 million people, over half of them, chose not to do so. The American Presidency Project reported that the same year, Donald Trump won Alaska by around 13,000 votes, and Kamala Harris won Delaware by around 7,000. Hawaii and North Dakota were won by about 9,000 votes, while Wyoming was won by only 6,000.
These big federal elections may make it seem like one person’s vote doesn’t matter, but those 21 million votes could have made a big difference in the grand scheme of things. If more people use their right to vote, they could make a difference.
At this point in our lives, we should try to have stances on political matters and start to figure out what we believe in, our morals, and what we stand for. It is our duty to vote to ensure that our governmental leaders represent us and our interests. Get educated, learn which candidates represent your values, and show up on election day. If you’re not going to, just say you don’t care and call it a day. I don’t think I have it in me to listen to one more spiel about a “lack of education.”