Mahatma Ghandi was the father of civil change and Indian independence in British-ruled India. Through his public displays of civil disobedience, social change was able to come about to a people who felt substantially oppressed.
It only felt normal when writing this article that I would want to be reminded of Gandhi’s struggle to bring about change. It would seem that nowadays many wouldn’t think that there’s a platform for social reform like the ones Gandhi employed but there is, and it’s something you’ve probably been putting off for a myriad of reasonable excuses.
Many Americans feel as if voting is a waste of time which is more than understandable. Many within the media and the modern American political system have told the story of bloated, partisan, and corporately backed politics that will never change and it seems that many of us have taken the story as truth.
Unfortunately many don’t seem to understand the theory of self interest within political science. A theory which states, that when holding public office the representative will give all effort to accommodate their constituency for the sake of being able to be re-elected. While you may think “So it’s a good thing that politicians will say whatever they need to say to stay in office?” it would be effective to think about it in this way. Politicians, while funded by large corporations still hold primary accountability to the voters. After all, those large corporate backers can’t put the politician back into office no matter what they do. Your vote matters because you remain the boss of your representative. If you don’t like a policy you can vote for a representative that will go about to bring change.
Another thought to take into account is that history rarely remembers the contributions of faceless corporations but rather takes into account inspired individuals when it comes to positive reform. It’s much easier to remember the accomplishments in civil reform from the likes of Martin Luther King, Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela then to name contributions from Coca-Cola or Boeing. If you ever feel as if your vote doesn’t matter much remember that through the smallest accomplishments and contributions the greatest historical figures you can recall brought about the life altering, positive change that made them famous.
In today’s political system not only are there large national problems that need to be addressed but an endless stream of issues we face as people living in Utah. These issues need your consideration. Issues such as funding for K-12 and higher education, the use of federally owned lands which take up 70% of Utah’s geographical space and more recently brought up at USU with the Anita Sarkeesian situation is whether or not the the state should allow the concealed carrying of firearms on state owned campuses.
If you have an opinion on these issues or others facing Utah you’re already involved in politics. You don’t need to worry about what’s happening in Washington as long as you concern yourself with your community and how you can make it better. Voting on November 4th is the first step in doing so.
I wrote that this article is a plea for you to vote but it’s much more than that. It’s a plea to ask questions, to be involved in causes you care about on campus, and mostly it’s a plea to be the change you want to see in the world. You might not believe it now but casting a ballot for the candidates and referendums of your choice really can be the driving force behind how Utah is shaped for the future and on a greater scale how the country moves into the coming decades and centuries. My plea is that you make the choice to leave your mark, and as always Aggies,
Stay Hungry Stay Foolish
