Don’t just vote – stay active to cause change

Filling out your ballot has little impact, but joining organizations can produce real results

Michael Tank

Thursday, February 7, 2008

As I was walking up Bruin Walk yesterday, I saw CALPIRG out in full force with a banner that read: “Make Them Pay Attention To Us – Vote.”

So I voted. Now what? Are the politicians paying attention now? Or did I just get to sport my “I Voted” sticker and a piece of candy from the Bruin Democrats for nothing?

In a dictatorial regime, when a plebiscite is won by a 99 percent consensus because there is an implicit threat of violence to those who dissent, we call that election a farce. In that case, there was no legitimate choice to vote for.

In America, where we are too often given the choice between Pepsi or Coke, we too should take a critical eye toward the choices we are given at the ballot box. The major candidates, whatever their differences, still represent a limited choice for American voters, and many of us who vote find ourselves choosing between the lesser of two evils.

But voting alone does not make a democracy, and mere vote counts don’t make the imaginary “them” pay attention to anyone.

In a healthy democracy, it is essential that advocacy groups and community organizations develop the political power necessary to have “we the people” take hold of our elected representatives and help them live up to their promises.

So if your candidate doesn’t make it past the post, don’t mourn – organize. Each of us has the ability as a citizen of this democracy to organize ourselves beyond the ballot box.

How are we committed to each other beyond election day? There are dozens of organizations on this campus involved in social change, encouraging actions not only on election day, but on Valentine’s Day and beyond.

And if your candidate wins, celebrate first, and then organize. Because whether or not our next president speaks the audacious language of hope, we will never see real transformation until we take hold of our future and create it ourselves.