Opinion
The Battalion Wednesday, Nov. 9, 1988 p ai
When my Republican friends and my
Democratic friend ask me in amazement
why I voted as I did (a straight Liberta
rian ticket), I tell them, “because my
vote doesn’t matter.”
For those of you who didn’t vote on
election day and don’t vote on a regular
basis, don’t worry. In most elections
you’re in the majority. We’ve seen vot
ing rates decline for decades, but is it so
awful not to vote? We hear the rhetoric
Timm
Doolen
Columnist
that it’s our duty as good Americans to
vote. I prefer to say that it’s my privilege
as a American NOT to vote.
my privilege
vote turning a major election. “You’re
taking your life into your own hands,”
he said with a little snicker.
The virtues of non-voting This sum
mer I had the pleasure of taking a politi
cal science course from A&M’s own Dr.
Edward Portis. At one point he began
discussing voting patterns and the de
clining voter turnout in the United
States. Suddenly during his lecture he
told us something that shocked the ma
jority of the class.
He looked around to see if anybody
outside was listening and then whis
pered to us, “I don’t vote! And I haven’t
voted in years!” It was stunning to say
the least, but less so after he explained
why he didn’t vote.
Less is best To me, low voting turn
outs seem to be an optimistic indicator
that our country is doing just fine as it is.
The legitimacy of a government derives
from the consent of the governed. So
when the average person doesn’t vote,
he is exercising his right, as an Ameri
can in an extremely stable democratic
country, not to vote. Not voting is a
form of passive consent from the aver
age person that says things will be OK
no matter who wins.
Silly reasons to vote. Some people I
say voting entails a right to gripe after
an election. But just because I didn’t cast
a ballot doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t be
able to criticize my government. After
all, free thought and expression is some
thing that our Constitution, which has I
had to be amended four times to ensure]
voting rights, was founded upon.
In all honesty, your vote doesn’t mat
ter. As Dr. Portis said, when you take
the number of votes you have, 1, and di
vide it by the total number of voters in a
given election, let’s say 80 million for
this last election, you get the fraction
that your vote counts (one-80 millionth).
The insignificance of a single vote is
mathematically obvious.
On the other hand, is a high voting
turnout necessarily an indication of
good things? In Germany in 1933, 88.8
percent of the electorate swept the Nazis
into office. As columnist George Will
wrote: “Did that high turnout make the
government especially legitimate? Was
it a sign of the health of the Weimar Re
public (which, in all reality, collapsed
soon after)? No, it reflected the unheal
thy state of politics at the time: elections
determined which mobs ruled the
streets and who went to concentration
Some say a high voting turnout is I
beneficial in stressing the importance oi l
democracy in America. If people don’t!
vote, it’s not necessarily because they
don’t believe in the ideals of democracy,
just that some things are more impor
tant to them on election day. Not want
ing to stand in lines to vote, or going
fishing may be more important to them
on that day than casting a ballot. Many
people care more about something per
sonally trivial, such as their birthday, I
than whom they voted for Nov. 8.
Is voting sending a statement to the
candidate? Sending a telegram of sup
port to the candidate would do him[
much more good than voting for him.
I am not saying you shouldn’t vote. If I
you vote to make yourself feel good[
about yourself and your country, go
ahead.
camps.
Later in the class, a student aston
ished at Portis’ revelation, asked “Where
would we be if everybody in this country
felt like you?” With a gleam in his eye, as
he knew he was about to make a fool of
the person, he said, “Look, if everybody
felt like me, (dramatic pause), then I’d
vote! Because then my vote would mean
something.” Of course he didn’t directly
answer the question because the thought
of everybody in the country not voting is
virtually absurd. Half of the voting-age
people in the nation went through the
ritual yesterday.
A distant cousin of concentration
camps (in the minds of some), jury duty,
is an impediment for many to vote. I
voted yesterday because as students we
are exempt from jury duty. But later in
life, when I have to weigh jury duty
against my right to vote, my personal
comfort may seem a little more impor
tant than my unheard voice in our gov
ernment.
Yet if you try to tell me an individual
vote makes a difference, I’ll disagree.
You may be voting to “affirm your right
as an American citizen to vote” or reap
the self-fulfilling satisfaction of “casting!
your voice in the future of America,”!
which I think is great. But if you have
the mistaken notion that your vote is
going to turn an election, or make any
real difference, you’re fooling yourself.
5t
Mail Call
Band’s ‘Dixie’ rendition insulting
To*
ii
By Stepf
Senior:
Kelly 1
Staf
EDITOR:
A couple of incidents happened over the weekend which compelled meto
write this letter.
On Friday night at Midnight Yell Practice, the Aggie Band played thesoi
“Dixie.” The same insult was repeated Saturday at halftime.
Is there some sort of explanation for playing a song that is a continuing
reminder of the trials and tribulations that blacks suffered during the slaveerj
There is no excuse or explanation for playing this song. It is an insult tout
and to other blacks on campus. I would have thought that the “nationally
reknowned” Aggie Band would not play this song. I sure don’t want people Two weeks bef<
around the country to think that all Aggies support the playing of “Dixie” truant Walk, elep
“Pulse of Aggieland.” ^Rirty had a wa
If we accept it as OK to play “Dixie,” what the hell, go ahead and fly the M
confederate flag, bring the white sheets out and start uncoiling the whip. in | oca | op p t
I am no two-percenter, yet I refuse to stand, acknowledge, clap or whoopfl footsteps of (
this song. I will always turn my back on the Aggie Band whenever this blatar *ntial victory, wii
of oppression is ever played. ;; providing gooc
This is 1988, not 1848. ' Bparty headqu
v- 1 Hion in Culpep
Roland S. Martin’91 Rep. Riel
H Hs campaign
Racism another A&M tradition
■ Bcs likely woul
EDITOR: i‘This provides
Charles Henderson, Jr. was absolutely right in his letter concerning racis epuhlican values
here at A&M. Rampant racism is one tradition that still lives, as well as \vhenir.Bjority of the A
father attended school here. Some things just don’t change. H “This was £
mental valu
The reason those boys yelled racial slurs at Mr. Henderson is hecausetht
threatened because of his presence at A&M. Since they are white-skinned andiB v ^ ^ ^ ,
majority, they feel they have to strike out at anything that might threaten^
Didn’t vote? Don’t worry; it|
doesn’t make a difference
hundreds or thousands? That’s still very
small in comparison to the millions, and
it’s a rare occasion when any organiza
tion can amass enough votes to make a
true difference in the election.
existence as the group which has the most power in our society
Since I am white, I see and hear many racist comments that would notbe
blacks were present. 1 can tell anyone who tInnks <>thei wise that racismexistsii|
every facet of this university, from the students all the way to the administrate
This not only saddens me, it is also nauseating.
I could go on to list many examples, but there is not enough room for then
in The Battalion.
For everyone who is discriminated against loi his i eligion. ra< e. sc\, oi ^
whatever, remember — there are a few of us here at A&M who aren’t thatwail
please don’t stereotype us all. For those of you who practice racism, including!
woman I know who just walked from her church on Sunday to proclaim,‘‘G«|
hate Mexicans,” I can only pity you.
And finally to Henderson and the rest of the Black Awareness Committet ?
please be forgiving of ignorance and be sure to always to use the committees
vehicle for progressive change.
Derr
By Sher
a
Denise 1
Staff
■pough pres id
efeat. Brazos Val
Greg Buford ’90
Where were the whites?
Hd a victorious
■ party at th<
nn.
Darryl Shaper,
Hocratic Party
EDITOR: Bned up the
Last week I attended a function of one of Texas A&M’s major student mong crowd mem
organizations. White students made up most of the participants, hut therewerclL won ton i u h t ’
rybody in this roo
anight. We worke
le good fight. As
;ood fight, who cai
few black and Hispanic students present.
A couple of days later, I attended a function of a major black student
organization. I was the only white person there. Why?
Shawn Mulligan
!)h bull,” some
Morality best AIDS protection
EDITOR:
In Anthony Wilson’s Oct. 31 column, he states: “We should face facts. AID!
a viral disease. A cure has never been found for any viral disease, so it is unlilxl
that if one is found for AIDS, it will be in our lifetimes.”
Among other things, Mr. Wilson argues that the only weapons we haveap
AIDS are education and condoms. Well I, for one, am sick of having peopled
hand me a loaded revolver only to tell me, “It’s OK because the safety is on.”
The kind of education we as a society need is not how to use or where tofu]
condom. What we need is to be reminded of what a sexual relationship was
intended to be from the beginning of time: complete and total oneness betweci
two people who make a solemn promise to love only each other until death.
Our present society has been bombarded with the phrase, “If it feels righi
it.” What happened to “If it IS right, do it”?
Another popular phrase says, “If two people love each other, sex is allrigl
What happened to teaching that sex outside of marriage is morally unaccepted
We have run from moral absolutes long enough and now we’re paying theprifi;
AIDS is not a big stick I’m waving in anyone’s face saying, “If you haveses
God will punish you!” Not at all. God created sex to be a beautiful thing. Web I
taken it and gotten the picture out of focus. We want the pleasure withoutthe
responsibility.
Throughout all this talk about AIDS, I find it amazing that everyone isso
ready to endorse condoms, but stay clear of morality.
Laura Gilliland ’89
Masters’ Fruit o’ Looms binding
Sure, there’s a case for arguing that
on a state-by-state basis your vote may
influence the electoral college a little
more. But as Portis told us, statisticians
have computed that there’s more of a
chance of your being fatally injured on
the way to the voting polls than your
When does it matter? Does a vote
matter in state elections and local elec
tions? On the state level in Texas, you’re
still dealing with millions of voters neu
tralizing your single vote. Locally, your
vote means slightly more, but local elec
tions rarely stimulate the average citizen
to vote, and I find it hard to remember a
local election of which the outcome sig
nificantly affected me.
So if you didn’t vote, don’t feel badly
or guilty about it. As Dr. Portis enjoys!
his teaching vacation in England this!
year, I’m sure he has kept up with the!
American presidential race. After see-1
ing the unsurprising predictability ofl
yesterday’s election, and the width ofl
the margin between the candidates, hel
was probably bored at how amazingly!
right he was once again.
EDITOR:
Tell Steve Masters his underwear is too tight, that he should loosen his
wasteband, and then maybe he wouldn’t be so blue in the face and could greet
people.
Steve should take a look at himself.
Does he like A&M? Does he like his life? Does he fear saying “Howdy”will
convert him from a modern city-clicker into an ignorant cowpoke?
Steve, take a look at yourself. There are nice people in large and small cfc
But you will not meet them since you fear strangers.
You are too pessimistic. You see a cup half-filled with water as half-empty
instead of half-full. If you swell on human nature’s negative side, life will be
meaningless.
Steve, instead of griping, you should run barefoot to the Chicken jump in
every available mud puddle, whistle at the birds, say “Howdy” along the wayat
drink a beer with your friends, if you have any.
Trey Barlow ’90
Includes
• 2 Piec
(Coml
Order;
• Madhi
• Corn
• Buttei
• HotA'
What about block voting? Votes in the
Timm Doolen is a sophomore com-I
puter science major and columnist /or|
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