I Should of Taken Spanish

Did you ever notice that American’s are perhaps the least sophisticated people in the world? Well, I guess we are above the 12-year old Congolese warlord, I guess. Imagine, in almost every country in this world, English is taught as a second language. It is a fact of life that not only will Parisian’s grow speaking French, but also learn a complete second language, sometimes English, otherwise German, Italian, Latin, or Spanish. In most cases, students come out of high school with a firm grasp of some other country’s tongue.

In America, we have the exact opposite approach to life. Try and make Spanish an official language in the southern states and you will be dragged out in the street and shot. Try to create dual-language classrooms and parent’s will begin pulling their children from the schools and taking their business elsewhere.

I only say this because I wish that when I was in elementary school and high school that some teacher had made me learn Spanish or even Italian (I had 5 years of Italian in high school and college but that doesn’t mean I was made to learn it). I regret not forcing myself to grasp it. Being able to communicate with people is the very essence of human interaction. We wouldn’t interact if we had nothing to say to one another. Communication theory proves that one. I should have learned that Italian a little better…

Ciao.

Patrick Henry Would Have Been Proud

Did you know that the longest horse race in American history is occurring right? It’s called the Democratic primary and its running and all 50 states. Anyone who has even remotely followed this election has seen Dean’s impassioned speech about 100 times, and only because the media has chosen to run it. They talk about who has the most electability, who gets mad, who can beat Bush, and who’s wife will do this and that if ‘elected’ First Lady. I am entirely sick of it.

People are already tired of this race because it has failed to talk about the issues. Where does Kerry stand on abortion? What about Dean and foreign policy? Leiberman on Medicare? Kucinich on drug control? Ok, so maybe we knew that last one, but the point is, Americans are at a loss. If even half of the time spent by the media was devoted to issues, we could actually get somewhere with this race. It has come down to a spectacle, a side show for politicians and cameramen.

CNN did a feature a few days ago about how the network reporters were driving their own campaign busses, decked out with sleeping quarters and kitchens, just like Dr. Dean! No longer does a reporter want to get some time with a candidate on the campaign bus. The trick now is to get the candidate some face time on the network’s bus. The media’s dominance in this race is America’s number one complaint (according to a survey of all five of my roommates, who apparently represent America). And I say, give us the issues or give us death! (There is a little Patrick Henry in all of us).

Vote Early and Often!

Two hundred and seventeen years ago, the Framers of the Constitution created a system known as the Electoral College. Instead of using each individual vote as a count, they use delegates who cast their vote based on the voting percentages of the people in that state. Hypothetically, if Candidate A gets 60% of Ohio’s votes, he gets all of Ohio’s electoral votes. Anyone who was alive and over the age of 8 in 2000 knows that it is not a perfect system. Many are now resigned to that fact (particularly in Florida), and believe that nothing they do short of a Constitutional amendment removing the Electoral College and switching to a system of direct voting will ever make their vote truly count.

These people believe that they have no voice, and will not vote as a result. In fact, their only voice is to vote. Young voters are especially prone to this belief. In the 2000 general election, only 32% of voters age 18 to 24 actually went out and cast their ballot, and that was during a presidential election. It is even lower than that during non-presidential years. Many in this age group have little vested in government. They are paying little taxes, not collecting social security, not relying on Medicare, and are usually more concerned about paying their college tuition, saving up money to buy a tank of gas every week, and trying to find decent jobs rather than voting.

Wait! Finding decent jobs. Buying gas. Paying college tuition. And we thought young people had little vested in government?! Little do they realize that all of these things have to do with government, particularly at the national level. Young people should be just as concerned about their government because it is just that, their government. Decisions being made everyday in Washington affect young people. Chief among them are education reform, foreign policy (OPEC ring a bell to anyone? Gas runs not only your car but a large chunk of the economy as well), and jobs.

In New Hampshire last week, Howard Dean made an impassioned speech to a group of college students, urging them to not just help his campaign, but help America by getting out and voting. Voting is the single most important thing we can do to change this country. It ensures a check on government. If it weren’t intended for that purpose, we wouldn’t do it, and instead by ruled by King George Bush. But we aren’t, because at the heart of democracy is participation. We vote because we want to show our support for a country, and for an idea that the Framers created over 200 years ago. We will not always agree with that idea and that is why we must vote.

I am a college student; a senior at John Carroll University in Cleveland, OH. Two weeks ago I was one hour away from making an eight-hour drive to Iowa to back a candidate. Family reasons kept me from going. But if I had, would my single act have made a difference there? No, that play was over before it started (we just didn't know it). But my action combined with the actions of millions of people, especially young people in this country can make a difference. So as the time for your state’s primary or caucus draws closer, take part in this race, volunteer for a candidate; in some way, participate like the Framers intended you to – VOTE!