Voting in Egypt

If there is any question that the protests in the Middle East and North Africa are having an effect, one has only to look at Egypt to find an answer.  This past Saturday, Egypt held their first free election in over thirty years.  It is the start of a long process to shape a new government, but it is being met with jubilant citizens.  For many young people, this will be their first ever opportunity to vote freely.  While there have been elections held over the past thirty years, there was no real freedom in voting.  The government controlled who could vote and what the outcome would be regardless.  The feeling in Egypt must be one akin to the feeling that our ancestors had when they voted for the first time in the United States hundreds of years ago.  Having the ability to vote freely is a direct expression of democratic ideals and its ability to affect change based on what the majority of the population wants.  My only hope is that the votes on the losing side do not spark a response akin to the protests that started this whole movement.  But lets hope for a positive a foreward looking outcome as Egypt moves to re-shape itself in the eyes of its people.

With this jubilation in Egypt, let it be a reminder for all of us who live in democratic countries and have the ability to vote freely, that it is our civic duty to do so.  Especially in the United States, not everyone eligible to vote actually votes or for that matter is even registered to vote.  In the 2008 presidential election, 63% of eligible voters actually voted.  While this number is not terrible, that still leaves 37% of the eligible voting population not voting.  Not surprisingly, the number of people voting is lower among young people versus old.  I know I personally have many friends who don't care enough to register or if they are registered to vote.  They question their overall effect as voters and for the most part aren't even interested in what is going on in the government.  It is this sort of apathy that will lead to the slow denegration of our government.  If my grandmother who is 90 years old can get a ride to a voting center, walk in with her cane and cast her ballot, then anyone with a car should be able to make the drive to cast their own ballot.

If we don't vote, we can't make a change.  Many would cite the effort involved in making a change occur, but unless you attempt to make that change, you will never know what may happen.  Change is never easy even in our own personal lives.  Once we get comfortable with living a certain way or working in a certain career, we naturally fall into groove that is incredibly hard to pull ourselves out of.  When we have what we need, we see no reason to change.  I say that we must change our lives as often as possible, always exploring new and sometimes frightening options simply to stay out of the proverbial rut or groove.  Especially when it comes to government and voting, when things are going well, people tend to stop paying attention and stop voting.  This is exactly when the biggest changes are being made that will affect our personal lives.  We must constantly keep abreast of what is occuring in our government realizing that any decision they make has a direct influence in some way on our lives.  We put these people in office who are supposed to be serving us and directing the government according to our desires.  We must keep on top of them and the moment they slip up, get them out of office by voting against them. 

We could learn a lot from the enthusiasm of the Egyptians right now.  Although there has been a revival in interest in our own government and voting in recent years, due mostly to the economy and events occuring around the world, we must sustain this revival.   The Egyptians right now are setting the example for the rest of the world on what it means to vote freely and have a direct effect on government.  We must get that 37% of people not voting in the U.S. to step up to the plate and take charge.  Everyone leads a busy life, but how much of that busy life is devoted to TV or other wasteful activities.  Take ten minutes and indulge in a little political awakening by reading what is going on in our government.  The internet is a wonderful tool, right at our fingertips, that can open doors to exploration and enlightenment, (two words not normally associate with government), and reveal what is actually going on with our elected representatives.   Regardless of where you live, in the U.S. or elsewhere, lets all devote a little more time to shaping our governments for both our future and the future of our children.  If we want them growing up in a world different than the one we live in now, it is up to us to make that change, and voting and getting involved is just one means of doing so.  So until next time, figure out what your representative stands for and call him out if he is not representing you to the fullest extent.