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A national disgrace
Tuesday was primary day in Virginia, and in nearly 20 other states as well.
Once again, less than one-quarter of the voters eligible to participate bothered to cast a ballot.
They can’t blame the weather, which was sunny and warm.
They can’t say they didn’t know about it; from the Rappahannock News to the Washington Post, the newspapers and television have been filled with previews for the past several weeks.
Some experts say the electorate is bored — that the candidates just don’t excite people this year.
Some blame the traditional independence of Virginia’s voters, saying that they were unwilling to express a party preference. That argument might hold water, except that previous elections in which statements of preference were not required have failed to get any better turnout.
The fact is, America’s voters are lazy and apathetic. They just don’t seem to care about the political process.
So what if the candidates aren’t all charismatic, firebreathing speakers? Not every politician is cast in that mold. They may still make good leaders. And, like it or not, one of the current candidates is going to end up as president of the United States on Nov. 8.
It’s about time for the American people to get off their collective lazy, couch-potato duffs, turn the TV dial away from “Wheel of Fortune” and begin to participate in the political process. The current situation, where less than half of the electorate is generally responsible enough to exercise its right to vote — the cornerstone of our heritage — is a national disgrace.
So, if you still can’t be bothered to vote, don’t bother to complain about the quality of the representatives who are elected. If you didn’t vote, they’re not your representatives, anyway.
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