Voting
can be as easy as 1 2 3
If voting were as easy as "1, 2, 3,"
would you do it? You'd be crazy not to.
One, collect all literature sent in a mass
mailing to your home. Put it inside the
front cover of your Voter Guide. Make a
list of candidates who telemarket themselves
to you by leaving stock messages on your
home phone or recruit anyone else -- like
former President Bill Clinton --to do the
same.
Invading
your privacy under the guise of addressing
you personally is an abhorant practice --
one you should not perpetuate. Review the
literature for generalizations and misinformation;
they're not hard to find. Cross those candidates
and any candidates they endorse off your
voter list. Look at the measures and propositions
they support. Vote in opposition to their
view.
Second,
use public radio forums to evaluate candidates
and their positions. The inability to judge
a candidate by physical appearance heightens
your awareness of what they are actually
saying, forcing you to assess their capabilities
based on what they say and how they say
it. Vote for someone who cares about issues
you value.
Rule
out candidates unwilling to participate
in discussions that include third, fourth
and fifth party views. If they can't hold
their own against opponents they publicly
discredit, they can't have much of a case.
Get the two dominant parties -- Democrats
and Republicans -- to take note by voting,
exclusively, for outside candidates. It's
the ultimate activist revenge.
Third,
vote. Most polling places are within walking
distance of your home. If you just can't
bear the thought of going 20 steps out of
your way, volunteer to host a polling place
so that you can roll out of bed and straight
into a voter booth.
Christine
G. Adamo is a journalism major at Cal State
Long Beach.
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