Recently, I had a stereotypical college freshman moment, where I completely reassessed and questioned my opinions on a topic.
A few weeks ago, I was completely in support of the enormous efforts to encourage citizens, especially young people, to vote. It meant having a say in how the government should be run and the laws that it creates. It still means this to me, however, there are now other factors influencing my position. This changed when my philosophy professor offered an extra credit opportunity. We had to attend a 50-minute talk by a speaker that was coming to campus and then write a quick summary of the talk. This seemed easy enough so I was eager to participate, but I became less eager when heard that the talk was called Not All Americans Should Vote. I still attended for the extra credit, but I was ready to shoot down any ideas that this man had to present on the topic.
He talked about how there are three types of voters: Hobbits, Hooligans, and Vulcans. Hobbits typically do not pay attention to the election until around the final three weeks, and, usually, vote for whoever is most attractive or best dressed. Hooligans are invested in their candidates to the point where they will support anything and everything their candidate has to offer, whether it is good or bad. They often times will criticize the opposing candidate’s actions, but ignore or create excuses when their candidate acts in a similar manner. Vulcans are what every voter should strive to be. They are dispassionate and base their decision completely on facts.
This idea astounded me, and I decided to test these stereotypes on some of my peers, friends, and family. Some supported Hillary but did not know what her plan was for health care. Some supported Trump but did not know what his tax plans are or what the effects of them would be. Many did not even know who Jill Stein or Gary Johnson are! While there was an overwhelming number of Hobbits and Hooligans, there were close to no Vulcans, implying that the majority of people (or at least the majority of those I am associated with) are uninformed.
The main problem with Hobbits and Hooligans is that they ignore facts about the candidates. Hobbits are influenced by outward appearance over the candidates’ policies, while Hooligans overlook possible negative aspects about their candidate. As a result, they are uninformed and likely to make a bad decision when voting. The speaker then said that these citizens could express their ideals in different ways, such as volunteering for a PAC that supports their opinions. I do not believe this is necessary because it is disregarding the real problem. Many American voters are uninformed and they will stay that way until they learn the importance of making educated decisions based on facts, especially in elections, or experience the consequences of their ignorance.
The president is a four year job, and it is not one where the position holder can be easily fired. His or her decisions are guaranteed to affect the country and will leave a lasting impact on the rest of the world that could be either beneficial or detrimental. One vote could change the direction of the country. This election day, and all others to come, please go out and vote, but educate yourself before you do, so you can make the best decision possible!
