As we celebrate National Voter Registration Day, Sept. 24, identification laws can pose a real problem for most Americans. Gerrymandering, is also a very important issue that, as Americans, we all should be concerned about. Politicians make very important decisions that affect us all, that’s why it’s so important that we question the people we elect to represent us. But if you don’t understand the issues, it can be difficult to make an informed choice about who to elect, no matter what party you support. With so much at stake, there needs to be a class called “World News Today” in every elementary school, high school and college.

Many people don’t understand the repercussions of not voting. However, when you talk to students about world news, they begin to develop their own ideas and opinions about what’s happening in the world and to our planet; the state of the economy; what’s going on in other countries; who our allies are; and who we’re at war with and why.

It is simply not enough to register people to vote without educating them about many of the issues that impact their daily lives. It’s like putting the cart before the horse. Most folks don’t know who their senator is, much less their congressperson. If you want to compel people to vote, America must start doing a better job of educating its citizens. A lot of good folks died for the right to vote in this country. The fact of the matter is, no citizen should be allowed to even work without being registered to vote. It is as fundamentally important as the right to bear arms. I wonder how many National Rifle Association card-carrying members are registered to vote?

When people stand up at ballparks and pledge allegiance, they need to mean what they say, and say what they mean. No one can afford to sit out on democracy in this country and not protect the laws that influence their very existence.

It’s time we change things, because whether you like it or not, politicians are not going to always represent their constituency. [That’s] a proven fact. Lobbyists have a lot of power and can either make mass shootings a thing of the past, or the gateway to the future. It’s your vote that counts—make it a good one.

William Booker, 1997 journalism student

(708) 600-1573

williambooker1@gmail.com