Breeze Perspectives: Wasting away our elections
Parties aside, cahnge in Washington will be slow to come
By Kevin Irby, contributing writer
Posted on November 20, 2006

The federal government of the United States of America, bastion of freedom and democratic thought, has just undergone a mighty shift toward the left. This election cycle’s many midterms have long since passed us by in the usual manner of mud-slinging madness. The people have spoken, and the Senate and House of Representatives now belong to the Democrats. Voters from both sides of the fence turn their faces toward Capitol Hill, expecting the winds of change to emanate from the hallowed halls of representative government. I would not recommend waiting up for it. 

Something amiss in our national government has torn at the back of my mind for quite some time now, and I think I have finally put my finger on it. We no longer have any true connection with our government. We hear the issues and the rhetoric, and vote according to our own beliefs in the hopes that our chosen representative will take our hopes and concerns and do something. However, I find that the people we look to do not really listen to us anymore. When I look at modern politicians, I see masks in various shades of red, blue and occasionally green. These lifelong politicians hide behind their respective parties’ platforms to preserve their own power. Thus, there can be no individualism, no inspiration and no innovation within our government. The electoral bodies of the greatest nation in the world are rotting from the inside out.

Simply changing the party in power will not bring about the kind of change, the breath of fresh air, for which all of America longs. Our political system is just that: a system. For the machine to perform at all, gears have to mesh and wheels have to turn a certain way. The main concern of our leaders is the preservation of that system, and apathy is their ally. For far too long, the powers that be have taught the voting public that the best choice lies with the lesser of two evils. Even worse, they teach us that we are voting for a particular view of a particular set of issues instead voting for a person to represent us. Nothing can be that black and white, but because voters believe this tripe they become complacent, throwing in their lot without recognizing the real consequences of their actions. The people no longer “vote;” they make an “educated guess.” American politics lack the spark of life it had 30 to 40 years ago, because somewhere along the line, a voter gets a mass-printed list of issues to care about and bases the decision on “yes” or “no” responses for the rest of their life when absolutely nothing is that simple.

During recent conversation with my friend, we stumbled upon the topic of mud-slinging in the election and he spoke the very words that I fear will eventually bring our forefathers’ grand experiment: “There was a time when I cared about politics and where this country is headed.” Considering the poor voter turnout during the last few major elections, I think that most of America is on the same track, because American voters never see any kind of revolutionary opportunity for improvement anymore.

However, if there was ever a time to care about politics, it is now. For the first time since Tricky Dick, it’s time to hold our politicians accountable for their actions and the content of their character both before and after the election. It is time to make them listen to voice of America as a whole, pushing toward moderation and compromise. Only then will the winds of change blow in our favor.

Kevin Irby is a sophomore SMAD major.