Today I want to talk about voting, or specifically the lack of it, by one of this country鈥檚 most overlooked, poorest, unrepresented, drowning in debt, under-employed, stressed-out, and worst of all, the most apathetic demographic in the entire country: young people.
I personally never had any problem becoming interested in politics. The political bug bit me when I was about 13, and I spent my teenaged years following politics religiously and agonizing over the fact that I was not allowed to vote yet. Now I work for a newspaper and when the election was called it might as well have been Christmas morning.
Mine is certainly not the common experience for people my generation, or for most sane people of any generation, really. But the degree to which my generation refuses engage in the political sphere is staggering. One of the most common things we hear is that 鈥渧oting just isn鈥檛 my thing,鈥� as though democracy is a hobby that you鈥檙e either into or you aren鈥檛.
Some members of older generations say this lack of interest is because we are all self-absorbed, entitled, lazy little jerks. The only response to that is this: democratic politics in a very fundamental way runs on the principle of 鈥渨hat鈥檚 in it for me?鈥� If we really were the entitled little brats that people say we are, then we would already be one of this country鈥檚 strongest voting blocs.
The real problem is that there isn鈥檛 anything in it for us. Political parties make only the most token of efforts to try to get young people to vote for them. What they do promise is almost always only about education 鈥� a good start, mind you 鈥� and despite this, it鈥檚 still marketed to our parents. When the Liberals talk about their 鈥淔amily Pack鈥� it doesn鈥檛 resonate with those of us who have no interest in starting families any time soon.
The degree to which we鈥檙e ignored is astounding.Federal politicians make a more visible effort chasing after the Jewish vote, despite the fact that Jews make up only slightly more than one per cent of Canada鈥檚 population while people under 25 years old make up nearly 10 per cent. The difference being, middle-class Jewish families actually vote.
That鈥檚 the real problem, because we don鈥檛 vote politicians don鈥檛 try to engage us, and because they don鈥檛 engage us, we don鈥檛 vote. It鈥檚 a vicious little cycle. So here鈥檚 my advice to people my age: break the cycle, GO VOTE.
Do you want to know why tuition is so expensive? Because young people don鈥檛 vote.
Why no serious candidate talks about legalizing marijuana? Because young people don鈥檛 vote.
Why young men pay ridiculously unfair prices for car insurance? Because young men don鈥檛 vote.
Do you care about gay rights? Then go vote.
Do you care about the environment? Then go vote.
Can鈥檛 find any jobs that will hire young people? Then go vote.
Are your taxes too high while people with kids seem to get all the tax breaks? Then go vote.
I don鈥檛 care if you don鈥檛 know who to vote for, it doesn鈥檛 matter, go in and spoil your ballot for all I care (or ideally, ). What鈥檚 important is that your name and age show up on the list of who voted. Once the political powers-that-be see that people our age do vote, I guarantee that next election college campuses will be as popular as a nursing home.
Seriously, do us all a favour. On May 2nd, get off your ass and go vote. Do it.
