This election has conjured up a large mix of emotions for so many people. It has also brought about many needed conversations about equal rights for women, the need for more job opportunities, and the one topic many people don’t like to talk about … racial/ethnicity divide. Amongst all of these intricate themes I was truly surprised to hear of one in particular. I listened to a group of students talk about how they didn’t feel that they should vote during this election. I was a little puzzled to hear them talk about this because I automatically assumed that it was common for the mass majority to vote, no matter what you thought about the election and its candidates.
The idea of people making the conscious choice not to vote frustrated me for the rest of the day. It bugged me not because they didn’t want to vote, but because I couldn’t think of one reason not to. Voting is so important to me for a number of reasons, but two in particular. At a point in time neither women nor African Americans could vote. As a woman of color you can understand why I feel it is my duty to exercise this right whenever I get the chance. I decided to let my curiosity take over, and see what some other RU students’ thoughts were about voting.
“Voting is important to me because at one point women were not allowed to vote and I never want to take that right, or what all those women fought for, for granted.”
Lendsay, 20
“It’s important to not take our rights to vote for granted. We’re really lucky to be living in a country, although flawed, that allows citizens to voice their opinions and elect government officials”
Amanda, 24
“For me it’s important to vote because I know there were people in my family in generations past who had to fight for all of their rights; one of them being voting. I don’t want them to have done that in vain”
Nick, 21
“I always vote because my parents constantly encouraged me to. It wasn’t really something I put too much thought in. This election has been different. I’ve been trying to pay closer attention on my own.”
Amber, 23