• printer friendly
• mail this article
• iPod format
• digg

Photo

Dan proudly proclaims he’s a surfer. He tells me George W. Bush must be a Democrat, but he can’t be sure. He tells me also that John Kerry is the Republican challenger who supports invading Afghanistan. “What the hell is a proposition?” he inquires with no hint of curiosity when I ask him about several state measures. All this would be dandy, but Dan is voting in the upcoming November election.

Dan is among dozens of young Americans who approached an odd little table on Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica on Monday and will be voting. “It’s about empowerment,” says Rosie, a passer-by who was enticed by the candy bars the booth’s volunteers were offering. Or maybe it was the democracy. “I’m voting for Nader ‘cause I’m interested in women’s issues,” she says, “Plus, he’s the only guy who can really beat Bush.”

I ask Rosie if she can name any of the propositions. But as she begins to speak, Joanna, a volunteer at the table, interjects: “It’s not how you vote, but that you vote.”

“Yeah,” says Rosie triumphantly and walks away. Joanna hands me a “Rock the Vote” flier. “It doesn’t matter who you vote for,” she maintains, “Just go out there and vote! Some people don’t have a voice, and you are obligated to use yours.”

I begin to sense the empowerment but quickly overcome it. I ask, “So do you think people who have no political views or knowledge should vote in elections?” Joanna accuses me of being an elitist and says “people aren’t dumb” and that I am the “ignorant one” if I think so. Incidentally, Joanna, Rosie and Dan refused to give me their last names, perhaps because they thought fans or enemies might track them down.

On the other side of town, on UCLA’s Bruin Walk, there were similar attempts to “bring out the vote,” but these were more respectable. A field representative from the Los Angeles County, Richard Patricelli, asked students if they had registered and passed out forms to those who had not. “This isn’t and shouldn’t be bribing,” he said. “Voting is an end in itself. I remember years ago when you could get a free sandwich from Subway if you voted. That was just wrong.”

Patricelli was making it more convenient for students to vote, not pressuring or seducing them.

Under the steps of Kerckhoff Coffeehouse, Kristina Doan – president of the Bruin Democrats – and other club members manned a table of their own. “You shouldn’t give people an extra incentive to vote,” Doan said. “Democracy is incentive enough. It is up to students to take initiative to educate themselves on the issues and the candidates. Our role is to provide them opportunities on campus to do so. The Bruin Dems, the Bruin Republicans, the executive vice president’s office, CALPIRG and other clubs will soon begin an election education drive. Basically, education and registration.”

Patricelli and Doan had it very right, while the enthusiasts at the Promenade had it very wrong. Thomas Jefferson made a profound point when he said, “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.” Or, to put it more applicably, the longevity of a democratic government depends on an informed citizenry. Or, to be even more precise, I hope that Dan and Rosie do not vote on Nov. 2.

But they are not the only problem. Active players in America’s political process are complicit as well. Registered voters I interviewed on the Promenade and Bruin Walk knew very little about the election, save that they would be voting for Bush or Kerry. None was able to name a single judge or proposition, and the vast majority did not know their own representatives.

There are many people that can be blamed. The voters themselves are surely liable, as are the enthusiastic registration tables. But perhaps the fault really lies with the politicians themselves – people who not only pass law but also legislate morality; who talk about social justice rather than the needs of their constituents.

The average voter wants a secure job, fewer taxes, a safer neighborhood, a better education system and the simple command of his own life.

But politicians today do not care about these everyday issues. They are in the cosmos, opposing injustices and righting societal wrongs. As a result, their constituents are disenchanted with, and even revolted by, the process of democracy.

An informed citizenry is the cornerstone of a fair democratic government. Now more than ever, it is crucial that we understand and act on this. There are good and genuine politicians out there. We must do our research and vote for them. We, the informed citizenry, must guide our democracy in the direction best for us.

The quantity of voters is not a measure of a democracy’s success; it is the quality of the vote. Many voter registrars probably do not understand this. Dan and Rosie certainly do not. In their case, a vote by democracy would be a vote against democracy.

Hovannisian is a second-year history and philosophy student. E-mail him at ghovannisian@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.