Three years ago, I turned 18. It was a big event; I was no longer a minor and I was well on my way to adulthood. I was about to graduate high school, and soon I’d be in college, practically free of age restrictions. But as a little time went by, I realized that being 18 wasn’t different at all. I didn’t smoke, I wasn’t into strip clubs, and I wasn’t going to vote. A lot of my friends registered to vote as soon as they could. Some were excited about being able to vote, some just felt it was their duty, and then there was me, Mr. Apathetic. Now three years later, I’ve reached the next age milestone of 21, and I still couldn’t care less about politics. I’m Paul Sieger, I’m completely apathetic about politics, and I will not be voting in November. Somehow the topic always comes up, and so many people ask me why I don’t vote. Some are just plain inquisitive and some seem to be a bit angry. I never have an explanation for them except to say, “I’m apathetic.” I care so little about politics that I don’t even care enough to come up with an explanation for why I’m so apathetic.But because this will be such a historic election, more people than ever are curious, if not concerned, about why I’m not voting. So, I figured now I should at least attempt to explain my apathy.
We always hear that our vote will make a difference, but will it really? When was the last time an election was determined by a single vote, or anywhere close to that? I realize that if everyone thought that way, then nobody would vote. But not everyone does think that way. Regardless of whether or not I vote, an election will still take place and an overwhelming number of people will still be voting.
Then there are the candidates. I pretty much know nothing about their beliefs or their stances on certain issues, because I don’t care to take the time to learn about them. There’s so much information that it’s a bit overwhelming. I feel that if I were to vote, it would be important to know as much as possible about who I’m voting for, but I don’t care to take the time to do that.
A lot of people place importance on the act of voting, but if I don’t know enough about the candidates, does it make sense that I should vote anyway? It would be foolish to vote for the sake of saying I voted without having taken the time to understand why I voted and just who or what exactly I voted for.
Unfortunately, a lot of people my age who I encounter are just as ignorant about politics as I am, yet they’re voting anyway. When I turn it around and ask them why they’re voting for a specific candidate, they don’t really have an answer for me. To me, being uninformed and still voting is worse than not voting at all. So since I’m uninformed and don’t care to be informed, I won’t vote.
People always say, “If you don’t vote, then you can’t complain.” Well, I’m with them on that, and I’m not complaining. I’m perfectly content in this country. I appreciate the freedoms I have here. If I wasn’t content, then maybe I’d vote and hope to do something about it. If I felt that my essential freedoms were threatened, then maybe I’d vote. But I’m very comfortable here.
I’m aware there are a number of issues that plague this country. I understand that I have a right to have a say in what goes on in this country. But I also know that issues will exist no matter what. There will always be complaints. There will always be protests. Nothing will change that, and I just don’t care to take the time to figure out how I should vote, especially when it will only minimize the amount of problems that arise in this country. And how can I be sure I’m making the right decision anyway?
When it comes down to it, I just don’t believe my vote will matter. I don’t believe in the power of one vote. In fact, I believe my vote is insignificant. When there are already so many people voting, I guess I can’t seem to see how my vote will change anything. I’m not down with the whole “at least I tried” mentality. I’d rather say, “At least I didn’t waste my time.”
You should note that I am in no way condoning apathy or attempting to discourage anyone from voting. Apathy is extremely unhealthy, especially when it comes to something like politics. I may end up caring in the future, or I may not. Although I have great respect for everyone who will be participating in this year’s election (and for the several people who have tried to convince me to), I will not be voting in November.
