To vote or not to vote…

I am a big advocate of exercising the right to vote because it's the one right that we have that could make a difference.  As I move about on a daily quest to encourage people to register to vote, I am amazed by some of the responses that I receive.  I was in one of the major stores here in town, and asked the clerk (a young man about 21 years old) if he was registered to vote, and he flatly replied "no".  Curious, I asked him, "why not"?  He said, "I 'm just not into politics".  My curosity was still peaked, so I asked him the same question, "why not"?   He said that he has never been into politics and that  it just doesn't interest him.  I stood there with my mouth open for a moment, stunned by his response, and finally said, "do you care about your rights?", "do you know you have a voice, and it can be best used by exercising your right to vote?"  The young man stood there with a very blank look on his face in silent, somewhat awkward, moment.  I took a deep breath, obviously stepping out on a limb, and told him that we have too much technology in these days and times for him to be totally ignorant about politics among other topics.  I asked him if he used the internet, and he was very excited about his positive response, so of course, I encouraged him, in a non-threatening manner,  to use that same level of excitement when he used that tool to educate himself about the political process, and the issues that could affect him, his family, and his future children.  As I began to walk away, I turned on a heel, gave him a voter registraton card, and advised him to at least register.  OMG, have we forgotten the struggles of our forefathers who shed a lot of blood, were humiliated, lost their families, and more often than not, their lives to ensure that ALL people had equal rights, among other things, the right to vote?  Where is the breakdown for our youth and that segment of folks who are "just not interested?  Have we turned a blind eye in educating about history?  Is it not as important any more?  It's only been just over 40 years since we were granted many of the rights that we have today, and people don't even acknowledge that there was a struggle.  I strongly believe that you have to know where you've been to know where you're going; and the key is to start with the babies.  That young man may not register to vote this time, but he may think twice about educating himself about politics.  IJS