While it’s logical for me to write about the danger of drugs due to the content of this edition, there’s a bigger problem looming over people our age that we need to talk about: voting.
Early voting ends Nov. 3 and, by the time this newspaper lands on the rack, there will only 12 days left until we elect the next president. In that sense, I chose the word “we” very carefully.
The millennial generation can finally all vote in this election. And our generation can make or break the election as, according to the Pew Research Center, we make-up nearly one-third of the electorate (31 percent).
You might argue that your vote is wasted because your favorite candidate didn’t get the nomination, but it’s imperative that you understand that it’s our fault.
In the primaries, only 28.5 percent of the electorate voted nationwide. That means, in theory, half of our generation could have determined the outcome of the primaries, but we didn’t show up.
And while an abhorrently small fraction of our generation contributed to the primaries, there’s still time for us to make a difference by voting for local, state and federal positions by or on Nov. 8.
So, whether you’re rooting for Donald “the bad hombre” Trump, Hillary “private server” Clinton or Gary “Aleppo” Johnson, get out and vote.
Vote for social issues, vote for the economy and vote for the future of our country.
Perhaps most importantly, vote because otherwise you’re not allowed to complain about politics on social media for the next four years.
This story originally ran in MTSU Sidelines’ October 2016 print edition. For more information, contact Editor-in-Chief Sarah Grace Taylor or editor@mtsusidelines.com
