At the end of the day on Oct. 4, members of the campus community will belong to one of two groups of people – those who voted in Louisiana’s gubernatorial elections and those who didn’t.
Of course, the category people fall under will have nothing to do with personality, physical characteristics, what bar they frequent or the people they associate with. However, it will have everything to do with whether they care about the future of this state.
Anyone who has reached this level in his or her education should recognize the importance of voting. Students have been bombarded with ad campaigns that drill phrases like “Rock the Vote” in their minds since many were old enough to understand the television. The University campus community should the benefits of voting.
Regardless of these messages, some still choose to put the future of Louisiana on the back burner for a game of Play Station or that extra hour of sleep. And while one of the state’s best and brightest individuals sleeps, people they don’t know are deciding their fate. College students are notorious for talking a lot of talk but fall short when it comes to action.
Voting must be a priority this year. The decision to vote gives the people at the University a chance to establish a framework for Louisiana’s future.
If those who are intelligent don’t vote, who is to say the state won’t be governed by morons. If those who are minorities don’t vote, are they letting someone who doesn’t understand their needs set the agenda for the next four years? If a non-smoker doesn’t vote, they should reconsider writing a letter to the editor complaining about eating in a cloud of smoke wherever they go.
On the other hand, The Reveille hopes those actual voters who fit into any of the groups above will see a governor who makes their personal goals a reality. It is a realistic truth. If the campus community doesn’t vote for whom it thinks is the best person to govern Louisiana for the next four years, then it is cheating society out of the full democratic process.
The fact is this University has a body of close to 30,000 voters. Tell them they can’t change something with 30,000 people and The Reveille will call them a liar. If the students in Starkville, Miss. can band together to change drinking laws around Mississippi State, there is no reason why this campus community cannot pick a governor who will create its graduates jobs and educate its children. This year more than ever, Louisiana voters have an incredible opportunity to change the face of the Louisiana politics and the way they live.
The people at this University must demand the candidates present a plan for how Louisiana State University will stay on track to be one of the best universities in the nation. They must seek a candidate who is willing to help the economy grow and develop. And finally, they must have the candidates convince them he or she will educate their children as well as or better than in any other state.
Anyone on campus who wants the same opportunities here in Louisiana after graduation must show up at the polls this October. There is no excuse for someone not to walk to the Tiger Card office to register, request an absentee ballot from his hometown or just clear out some time on his schedule. The Reveille challenges the people at this University to sacrifice one afternoon television line-up for a promising four more years in Louisiana.