Voting

I was 18-years-old the first time I voted for president. I have voted in every major election since then, and while I can't say I always like either candidate I have made an effort to find the one who I felt would best do the job.

I assumed most people were like me.

Tuesday I overheard a group of three young women, all in the early 20s, talking about how they voted. One voted for the ones who had the same name as people she went to high school with. Another only chose people whose name started with the same letter as hers. Another always chose a women if there was one to choose.

The laughed together as they told of their voting strategy.

Perhaps it is a sign of my age, but I began to be concerned that these girls were going to be making decisions about my future. My kids' future. And they thought throwing votes around was a joke.

I get that they are young, have little to no "real" cares in this world. I understand presidential election debates about foreign policy, healthcare, and creating jobs is boring to those who have not traveled much, are on their parents' health insurance, and are employed. When I was younger, my political stance was quite a bit different than it is now. I would have made different choices at that stage in my life than I would now. I get that.

And I'll stop short of suggesting voters need to have some qualifying test to be allowed — I know voting is a right of all Americans who have not been convicted of a felony. It is vital to our country.

But that doesn't stop me from being seriously disturbed by the flippancy I witnessed this year, and not only by the young. While not as obvious an example, I heard from several thirty-somethings errors ranging from mild to moderate — after they had voted.

To be sure, I can not claim to know everything about the candidates — no one can fully comprehend the spin machine that is campaigning. Who knows, perhaps I am one of those who thought I understood and didn't. But to hear those who didn't even try was disheartening.