Students should push for the polls

By Ashley-Crystal Firstley Texans Talk Staff Writer

Students should push for the polls

Voting — why is it not taken seriously? The opportunity to get involved with what a candidate has in store for our country and to voice your opinions should be taken advantage of. It should be a great feeling to know that your opinion as a citizen does matter when it comes to making important decisions. This is our country and American citizens have the right to say who they want to help improve their lives in terms of the economy, the environment, education and other social issues.

Our generation of people between the ages of 18-25 often don’t take advantage of voting. In fact, senior citizens are more likely to vote, and the voter turnout for people between 18-25 has been decreasing in the past 40 years. Before 1870, Anglo-Americans were the only citizens who could legally vote. Not only that, but they were only able to vote if they passed the literacy test or if their grandfather voted in the past. The 15th Amendment (1870) now allows for male citizens of any race to vote as long as they meet the age requirement. The 19th Amendment (1920) then gave females. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 abolished literacy tests and paved the way for even more African-Americans to vote and the 26th Amendment (1971) changed the voting age from 21 to 18. The right of all U.S. citizens 18 and older to vote has been a long, hard-fought process.

African-American females are among those who should especially take advantage of the opportunity to vote. The freedom we have today shouldn’t be taken for granted or overlooked.

The generation that decides not vote fails to realize the importance of voting. They either do not keep up with politics, they follow the crowd or they just don’t care. They also fail to realize that having a democracy where citizens can vote is a great privilege compared to other countries that don’t offer the same privilege, such as North Korea. Countries without democracy have no freedom of speech and citizens are often punished for simple protests.

Knowing the Electoral College’s votes are the votes that determine the outcome of an election can be discouraging. It gives the impression that the public’s vote does not count toward these elections. The college seems to distort the real meaning of a democracy when it comes to voting in many people’s opinions, including my own. But the public’s vote still largely influences the decision-making process. If you don’t vote, then you’re guaranteed not to have a say.

When a teenager turns 18, voting should be one of the first things he or she looks forward to besides moving out of their parents’ house. It’s part of being an adult because it means you’re at an age where The Constitution says you’re old enough to make your own decisions.

But when going to vote, don’t vote for the wrong reasons. For example, in this year’s election, some teens say they’re going to vote for Barack Obama because he’s Black or Hillary Clinton because she’s a woman. Both candidates would be making history, but voters should not ignore the issues each candidate stands for. That reveals ignorance and a lack of interest in the candidate and the election.

Being a citizen comes with freedom and responsibility, and voting is part of this responsibility. This is a democracy. Voting is our right. Take advantage of it.

Ashley-Crystal Firstley is the Texans Talk Entertainment and Features Editor at Sam Houston High School in Arlington.