Ah, the mudslinging is in full swing.
Nothing beats election year - any election year. Perhaps it's the media's predilection toward covering the most contentious races; perhaps it's the candidates stuffing campaign material on people's doors; perhaps it's even the falsely sincere handshaking, baby-kissing political appearances where the candidates all wear fake smiles and somehow seem to say nothing.
But we love this country, despite all the political candidates' mongering and all the name-calling, all the insults, all the candidate commercials, campaign finance expenditure woes and a system that discourages third parties. Why? Because we can vote. We live in a system with a government that is elected by the people. Although we hate the media, we have a libertarian media system, which fosters a marketplace of ideas - but also panders to market demand.
It's difficult sometimes to live in a country where more than half the population doesn't vote in any election. Some of it has to do with the educational and demographic systems where many people simply don't know how to go about voting. Political parties are not the only groups that should be helping people register to vote and giving them advice on where to go, when to go, how to get write-in ballots, etc.
It should be a community effort. And everyone should vote. Even if you don't like the candidates, it's still better to put in your vote than not at all. Sometimes it's incredibly difficult to like any of the candidates, making the whole process an act of cynicism, but we have a right to vote. Always exercise that right. Respect it, help it expand and let others know how they can exercise their right to vote, as well.
So even if you hate every single candidate on the ballot box, suck it up and make faces in the voting booth. Voting is a duty. It's too bad most people don't see it that way. And it may be clichÇ, but it's the truth - every vote counts.
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Angela Williams
Editor in Chief
