Since I've been up since 7:30 a.m., and I'm about to make the drive down I-85S to help Michael Mills garner some votes, I thought it high time I spoke about civic participation. When you live in a rural county in North Georgia like I do, the opportunities to help out with statewide (or larger) campaigns are few and far between. If you factor in the statistic that I live in county that voted more than 70% for John McCain in the 2008 election, then the ability to help out Democratic candidates becomes an even more daunting task. Right off the top of my head I cannot think of any city or county elected officials here that are Democrats.
None. Zero. Zip.
But through a stroke of good fortune this year I had the opportunity to meet and greet many candidates for a variety of offices, and I'm taking the initiative to help some of them out. I know it's a worn out and hackneyed phrase but: you can't complain if you don't vote. And how can really even complain if all you do is walk into a voting booth and pick a name without knowing why? Why don't people take the time to learn about candidates like they learn about singers, actors, etc? People (especially those my age...I'm going to be 20 next month) think that this is unusual or weird, the fact that I'm getting up hours before I normally would to help out a candidate I like, and statistically it is. Setting aside 2008, youth civic participation is normally abysmal. And that's a damn shame. Most people my age would get up at the crack of dawn for concerts or stay up until midnight for a movie release...but what I'm doing isn't important enough to do the same thing? No. It is. This is my Lady Gaga, this is my next Twilight movie. And THIS will matter more in the long run. From the small town where I'm sitting, the chance to learn about government firsthand, meet incumbent or potential elected officials, or even to just get my name out should I ever decide to run for office does not come every single day. So, I'm putting some effort into it. And I wish everyone would. Would we not all be better off for it?
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