BuzzFlash
presents Southern Style
by Rebecca Knight
A Lethargic Society
by Rebecca Knight
June 2, 2002
"The brave man inattentive to his duty, is worth little more to his country, than the coward who deserts her in the hour of danger."
Andrew Jackson
Voter apathy, a fundamental indifference to the right to vote in America is a national disgrace. Americans who take this right for granted dishonor the struggles of their ancestors, including our founding fathers, the suffrage movement, the civil rights movement, and our military personnel protecting our freedoms. It is truly a sad commentary on American individual responsibility, for statistics show that voter apathy is worse in the United States than in any other country with democratically held free elections.
The percentage of Americans of voting age who actually vote in presidential elections has decreased steadily since 1960 when it was 62.77%. There was a slight increase in 1992 at 55.23% when Ross Perot ran as an independent candidate. In 1996 this statistic dropped below 50% for the first time since 1924 to 49.08%. In the 2000 presidential election only 51.3% of Americans of voting age voted. (1)
Comparing these percentages to those of other countries confirms that this problem is endemic to America. While our turnout in the 1990s hovered around 50%, in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Norway, Germany, and Spain the turnout rate was about 75%. In Austria, Denmark, Iceland, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden, Turkey, Liechtenstein, and Luxembourg the turnout rate was in the mid to high 80's. In Australia, Belgium, Indonesia, and Singapore it was higher than 90%. (2)
The Constitution did not set forth requirements for the right to vote. As a result, originally, only male property-owners could vote. African Americans were not considered citizens, and women were excluded from the electoral process. Subsequently, hard fought battles by courageous individuals resulted in amendments to the Constitution to correct these inequities.
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Amendment XV (1870): Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
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The Fifteenth Amendment failed to provide the necessary protections for the right of blacks to vote. The Civil Rights Movement addressed this issue and resulted in The Voting Rights Act of 1965, which was enacted at a time when for decades in some areas of the South blacks had not been permitted to vote, and blacks who attempted to register to vote or to organize or assist others to attempt to register to vote risked losing their jobs, their homes, even their lives.
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Voting Rights Act of 1965: AN ACT To enforce the fifteenth amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress [p*338] assembled, That this Act shall be known as the "Voting Rights Act of 1965."SEC. 2. No voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure shall be imposed or applied by any State or political subdivision to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.
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Changing social conditions for women during the early 1800's, combined with the idea of equality, led to the birth of the woman suffrage movement. Women started to receive more education and to take part in reform movements, which involved them in politics. The women's suffrage movement lasted at least 70 years, from the first formal women's convention in 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York, to the passage of the 19th amendment in 1920.
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Amendment XIX (1920) The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.
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Amendment XXIII (1961) Section 1. The District constituting the seat of government of the United States shall appoint in such manner as the Congress may direct:
A number of electors of President and Vice President equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives in Congress to which the District would be entitled if it were a state, but in no event more than the least populous state; they shall be in addition to those appointed by the states, but they shall be considered, for the purposes of the election of President and Vice President, to be electors appointed by a state; and they shall meet in the District and perform such duties as provided by the twelfth article of amendment.
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Amendment XXVI (1971) Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States, who are 18 years of age or older, to vote, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of age.
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Considering the attention given to voting rights by the passage of the above-sited amendments and the bravery exhibited by extraordinary Americans who fought for those rights, it is difficult to comprehend how any American could neglect the duty to vote. The steady drop of the percentage of voting age Americans who fail to exercise their right to vote, even with rising levels of education and less restrictive registration practices, is attributed to many factors. There has been a decline in partisan attachments and voter mobilization by candidates and parties. Society has become more mobile due to employment changes and corporate transfers. Cynicism and mistrust has increased, partially attributable to the negative tone of campaigns.
Americans come up with many explanations for not voting, none of which are acceptable reasons for their benign neglect of their duty. Americans complain that they can't understand what is going on, they don't understand the issues, they don't have any say about what the government does, they don't think public officials care much about what they think, there is little difference between the two candidates, or that candidates don't deliver on promises.
With the advent of the Internet and cable television there is absolutely no excuse for not having at least a cursory grasp of the issues and the candidates' positions. Only by educating ourselves and exercising the power of our vote will we ever strengthen our say in government. In order to do that, Americans will have to wake up from their naps, get out of the recliner, put down the remote control, take a respite from sporting events and inane television shows, and spend a few minutes of their lives being responsible citizens. If citizens refuse to make the simplest of sacrifices for their country, just how can they expect elected officials to focus on their needs instead of the special interests that dominate almost all decisions made?
This entire column may have been spent preaching to the choir, as many published by BuzzFlash are. But what other choice is there? Perhaps BuzzFlash readers can make relevant suggestions for changing this disgraceful performance by irresponsible Americans. How can we shake them out of this apathy? This situation reminds me of a scene in the movie "Moonstruck" starring Cher and Nicholas Cage when Cher's character, Loretta, incredulously demands that Cage's character, Ronny, snap out of it! Snap out of it America!
What is the answer? How is this monumental apathy to be reversed? Perhaps it will only change with a catastrophic event that threatens our very freedoms. Don't be surprised if it happens. In fact, some actions taken by the Bush administration suggest that it is already taking place. In this lethargic society how can we expect anything else?
Heed the immortal words of John Fitzgerald Kennedy! The very least you can do for your country is to go to the polls and vote!
"Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."
- John Fitzgerald Kennedy
(1) Federal Election Commission http://www.fec.gov/elections.html
(2) http://psweb.sbs.ohio-state.edu/faculty/hweisberg/conference/Finkel-Freedman_2000_turnout._1.pdf
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Rebecca Knight is a native Tennessean, who grew up in Nashville. She currently resides in a small town about sixty miles outside of Nashville. She attended the University of Tennessee at Martin. She has also lived in North Carolina and Kentucky. She may be reached at tennessee_gal655@yahoo.com.
© 2002 by Rebecca Knight
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