Let your voice be heard

Cue lights.

Cue camera.

Cue protesters.

It looks like the 2004 Republican National Convention is off toa running start.

I must admit, I should be watching the convention for politicalpurposes. And though I want to hear all the keynote speeches,I’m really looking forward to Third Day’s performanceon Wednesday night.

In roughly two months, a transfer of power will occur. For oneall important moment in history, this amazing creature we calldemocracy will stretch its wings far and wide to put the vote backin the hands of the people. At this fragile time, the people willgovern themselves by voting on our next commander in chief.

This is a vote I’ve looked forward to for years. I recallmy senior year in high school when I was among many others in mygraduating class that were one year, some of us just a few days,shy of the legal voting age.

We were the next wave of young adults leaving the protectiveshade of home and academia. We were on the verge of taking up ourplaces in the workforce, the military and the hallowed halls ofhigher education. And we wanted our voices to be heard.

This year, we will be.

It’s safe to say that not everyone shares my passion forpolicy that drives this country further into the 21st century. AndI’m absolutely sure that not everyone shares my views onpolitical issues.

In fact, I was surprised this summer when I encountered a youngAsian woman who was even more of an advocate to keep Bush in officethan I am. Turns out, she just graduated from SMU last year with adegree in political science and currently works in the campaignoffice for a Republican congressman.

I wish I could say that all Asian Americans were as enthusiasticabout public policy as she is. But from my own observations,we’re not.

It’s not that most of us support Republican candidates andnot Democratic ones, or vice versa.

The truth is, not a lot of us really care.

Some of us are among the first generations of our families bornin the United States. Besides memorizing the Pledge of Allegiance(when most of the “native” citizens don’t evenknow it) and taking the test to earn their citizenship, many of ourparents aren’t educated in the workings of the governmentenough to care about any of the issues. For some, knowing thattheir children are in American schools to have a chance at a goodlife here is good enough for them.

And thus, we have a generation of young Americans who havelittle regard for the nation that welcomed their forebears withopen arms.

I spoke with another Asian woman over the summer. She graduateda couple years ago from the University of Texas with a degree inelementary school education.

She said she isn’t going to vote at all. She doesn’tagree or disagree with one candidate or another. She justdoesn’t care.

I wonder if she remembers hearing about a little somethingcalled Plymouth Rock. I wonder if she recalls anything about theAmerican Revolution. I wonder if she knows about the American CivilWar, women’s suffrage, the Civil Rights Movement, and soon.

I wonder if she understands at all the blood and sweat thiscountry has gone through over the ages for that one important,unalienable American right that many living here and abroad wouldkill for.

The right to vote.

British philosopher Edmund Burke is noted for his famousquotation: “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph isfor good men to do nothing.” (Take a note, those of you inEditorial and Critical Writing with Professor Carolyn Barta.)

Vote for one candidate or another. Or don’t vote becauseyou don’t like either of them.

But for the love of donuts, don’t not vote just becauseyou don’t care.

To put things into perspective, think of all the men and womenin cemeteries across the world that gave all they had for you tomake your voice known to the nations.

Christine Dao is a senior journalism major and a columnistfor The Daily Campus. She may be reached at [email protected].