Dougherty Arts Center
Students Should Be More Involved in Electoral Process
RECEIVED Thu., April 28, 2005
Dear Editor,
I recently passed out fliers about the ongoing city election at one of the college campuses here in Austin. I talked to more than 30 students as they were getting in or out of their cars; only one out of all of them had voted or even knew what issues were on the ballot. The large majority didn't even know there was an election. Several thought the only issue was the smoking ordinance and most of them had no idea what early voting was or what the requirements were. As an old hippy who attended Dallas Community College in the early Seventies, I was appalled by the apathy and lack of knowledge. My generation was an explosion of social awareness and change. I am very curious to know what it would take to get a mandatory "How, why, and where to vote" 101 course added to the mandatory state of Texas course list? How strange is it that our soldiers are getting killed every day in Iraq and Afghanistan to bring democracy to those countries when our own citizens aren't involved in the electoral process?
I recently passed out fliers about the ongoing city election at one of the college campuses here in Austin. I talked to more than 30 students as they were getting in or out of their cars; only one out of all of them had voted or even knew what issues were on the ballot. The large majority didn't even know there was an election. Several thought the only issue was the smoking ordinance and most of them had no idea what early voting was or what the requirements were. As an old hippy who attended Dallas Community College in the early Seventies, I was appalled by the apathy and lack of knowledge. My generation was an explosion of social awareness and change. I am very curious to know what it would take to get a mandatory "How, why, and where to vote" 101 course added to the mandatory state of Texas course list? How strange is it that our soldiers are getting killed every day in Iraq and Afghanistan to bring democracy to those countries when our own citizens aren't involved in the electoral process?
Delwin Goss
