Rock that Vote!
Get Your Vote On
by Paul Kendrick
During the 2003 Ware Lectures at the Boston General Assembly, NAACP Board Chairman Julian Bond was asked what was the most important piece of social action that he thought we should concentrate on. Looking out at an audience that comprised advocates of religious freedom, racial equality, economic justice, and a plethora of other causes, he must have been overwhelmed for a moment. How could he answer a question as grand as that? What one issue can you single out and elevate as being needed before all others? However, his answer seemed to come without equivocation and it was that we must register everyone to vote.
The stakes for the 2004 presidential election will be huge. Whether or not you support President Bush, it is undeniable that he has shown how much one administration can alter the world. From deconstructing Iraq to vastly reshaping our tax code to changing core civil liberties, he has made the America of 2003 quite different from the America of 2000. That is the awe-inspiring power of democracy and, in 2004, we are called upon to make sure all eligible people in our denomination are registered to make their voice heard for this referendum on the Bush presidency.
It was in this vein that I, along with Christine Middleton, Heather Delong, Brianna Rioux, and Kathleen McAuley, proposed and guided through a resolution at Youth Council that dedicates us to this great task. We want youth groups around the country stressing to their members that their political beliefs are worthless if they are not educated on how to vote. The Youth Council adopted our idea, which is to urge all districts to have voter registration material available at all conferences (cons). This is easily accessible at local post offices, libraries, or at numerous web sites (www.election.com will get you started). We want all district websites to feature prominent links to voter registration sites. Furthermore, we would ask that districts put a small question on their Con registration form to gage whether people are registered to vote and whether they would like more information. We must emphasize that voting is not as simple as just showing up on Election Day; you need to have taken care of this paperwork in advance. Also, the reason it seems politicians are uninterested in 18- to 35-year-olds is because their voting numbers are so low. When you vote, they listen to your issues (e.g. constant debates on old folk's prescription drugs).
Obviously many of the folks in Young Religious Unitarian Universalist (YRUU) are not eligible yet to vote. Nevertheless, the point of this is to instill civic values in our youth groups that will assure they when the time comes that will automatically know that they have got to register. This is at the root of Unitarian Universalist (UU) Principles, and we must make sure the youth movement never forgets that. In conclusion, to paraphrase Missy Elliot… "Get Your Vote On, Get Your Vote On!"
For more information contact youth @ uua.org.
Last updated on Saturday, April 19, 2008.
