COLUMN: Celebrate your right to vote this election

Why should you vote? As we approach the South Dakota voter registration deadline Oct. 22, this is an important question to ask oneself. For most, the list of reasons to get out and vote are a lot shorter than their list not to. Now, do not worry. This will not be a column trying to persuade you to pick a beast of burden over the world’s largest land mammal, and I am not referring to the girl your buddy brought home from the Char last Wednesday, either.

I know everyone has heard the broken record that voting is your civic responsibility. I believe this is a valid argument but if it had any traction, I would not need to write this column. But let me reframe this argument for you.

While many people in our society have the right to vote, it is still idolized as a job for the informed. There are many ill-informed members who are mobilized to vote by sound-bite politics, but the youth of our society is rarely mobilized or appealed to. Essentially the older generation looks down on us. They do not understand us, and feel we can be passed over without notice. Because when it is all said and done, what stake do we have in society?

We are our own worst enemy. Most of us feel we are too busy to be properly informed, or to take the time to properly register to vote in elections. These feelings are totally understandable. Being an informed citizen is somewhat complicated. Since we are convinced that we have no real stake, why would we waste our time?

There is a large stake in government decisions for us, and if we do not get informed and recognized as a voting force we will forever receive the short end of the stick. We are vastly different then the generations before us. Our generation understands why it is more important for us to learn computer skills over cursive writing.

The privilege of being No. 1 the world has not been granted to us in some time. Every day that comes shows more realization that global understanding is important regardless of your profession.

There is a reason senior citizen benefits are rarely cut. They pay attention and are super efficient in turning out to vote. Yet programs such as Pell Grants and First-Time Home Buyer loans are the first on the chopping block. It is time to mobilize and

optimize.

Truly the war is not between the rich and the poor, but the young and the old. If we can show congenial cooperation as a voting base, perhaps we can stand a fighting chance. South Dakota’s voting deadline is fast approaching, so go register at your local DMV and pick a stance and a candidate that represents youth issues. If we do not decide for ourselves, a generation that believes cursive writing is more important than social media will decide for us.

Reach columnist Blaine Reynolds at [email protected]