Choose or Lose

by Luke McIlwee, intern

In 2009, over 29 million people between the ages of 18 and 21 will be eligible to vote. The only question is how many will?

For a long time teenagers have been an under represented demographic in regards to political campaign attention. This is not because teenagers aren’t, in abundance. It’s because they simply don’t show up to the polls on Election Day. Maybe they don’t think their vote matters or they simply won’t put in the effort to go to the polls. Either way, it’s important that these kids realize that if no single drop of rain fell, there would never be a flood. So every vote counts, and hopefully the low number turnout for America’s youth will improve this year.

Presidential candidates have been utilizing today’s resources to reach teenagers for this election now more than ever. Modern networking tools like Myspace, Facebook and Youtube have made the internet a strong medium for gaining youth support, and information about each candidate is more available now than it’s ever been.

With information about each candidate being so readily accessible, there is no excuse for anyone not to know which candidate they support or not get off the couch and vote this year. Countless men and women have dedicated their lives to ensuring that the people of America have the ability to voice their opinion in the country’s political arena. So if you’re an American teenager, make your founding father’s proud and vote this year!