4 Commentary
Student
Poll:
Are you
registered
to vote?
“Yes,
because it’s
a social obli
gation. If
we don’t use
our voice,
we basically
have to shut
up and take
it”
Chris Hindun
“I am reg
istered to
vote, but
my politi
cal views
are in the
middle of
the road,
so I could
go either
way.”
Criss Hargis
Clackamas Pri
Voting system,
Don't vote?
politicians scandalous Then stop complaini
11 The Clackamas Print
Britteny Hoffman
Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2006
Does voting really matter
. Nicholas Delzell
“Yes,
because
I want to
vote for
governor,
and be a
part of
politics.”
The
In America’s funked up voting
system, voting isn’t worth the time
and thought.
Growing up watching America’s
excellent coverage of president and
part-time playa- Bill Clinton’s scan
dal, voting became irrelevant. This
is not blatant disrespect to our great
democracy and America as a whole.
I actually understand why a citizen
would vote. I’m in favor of other
people voting - not me!
Creating controversy and wasting
time seem to be a politician’s forte,
and when voting season kicks into
high gear, there is no telling what
politicians will do and say in adver
tisements to slander their adversary.
As a sports writer, I can truly say that,
out of all the messed up things my
beloved Trail Blazers players have
done, they have never put out a smear
advertisement campaign against their
opposition.
Too many young bucks let their
parents and their parent’s beliefs over
shadow their own. What I’m saying
here is, Republicans generally pass on
their principles to their children, and
Democrats do the same.
The DMV will push voter reg
istration on people who just want
a license, and activists will set up
certain sets of people to push voter
registration and voting on people ...
however, no one takes into account
that a person who helps voters register
may also tty to get him or her to lean
a certain way.
Independents are where things go
firm gravy to mold, as they can’t vote
in primary elections. This is not only
an unfair advantage to the two main
political parties, but a thunderous cuff
to independents who want to back
Republicans or Democrats, depend
ing on who is running.
Voting creates scandal and makes
it almost impossible to connect with
others whose opinions differ. This
gets especially strong on certain polit
ical issues. I’m not about to bring up
a scandal here, but I got a few ideas to
buff up the voting system.
First, make all potential voters take
a voter pamphlet aptitude test, and
raise the legal voting age to 21 again.
Second, break up the brainless
idea that Independents can’t vote in
our primaries.
Third, paint the White House ...
we won’t go there.
And fourth, make Nic King, and
all this voting debate will wash away
immediately.
laura Cameron
The Clackamas Print
“Vote or shut up.”
That’s one of my absolute
ly favorite bumper stickers. It
perfectly encapsulates my feel
ings regarding voting: those who
choose not to vote don’t get to
complain about the results of the
election.
Until recently, I always assumed
people didn’t vote because they
were too lazy. It seemed odd
- especially here in Oregon, where
the ballot comes in the mail and
just has to be mailed back, no
physical effort involved - but hey,
different strokes, right?
Turns out I was wrong. Many
people these days don’t vote
because they claim it doesn’t mat
ter.
If there were a literary tech
nique for conveying stupefied
silence, it would appear here.
How can anyone feel that vot
ing doesn’t matter? Were they not
paying attention in their American
History class when the teacher
covered the Revolutionary War?
One of the founding principles of
this nation is the right to vote.
Of course, they have a j
With the millions of peop
the United States, how’s on«
more or less going to matter'
The individual vote ma
matter. But start adding up
individual non-votes, and
turn into quite a chunk of n
tial change.
In the 2004 election, it
estimated that only 17 pt
of eligible 18 to 25-yed
voted. Younger generation
generally more liberal than
parents - had they voted,
ine the impact the other 8i
cent would have caused!
might not be in office now.!
Republicans might not have
trol of Congress.
Most of those 83 percent
vote because they thought!
vote wouldn’t matter.
Voting does matter, folks,
is why I will vote in every
tion I can until my dying day
hey, don’t take my word I
Go back and ask the signers
Declaration of Independenci
ones who pledged their live
tunes and sacred honor to th
ation of a country where th
zens decide what course to
The ones who lost their livt
families to create that nation
“I am regis
tered to vote
because
...without
individual
participation
in voting
matters,
democracy
fails.”
Dusty Ragsdale
Forrest Scrutton
“No,
because I’m
under 18
years old.
I do plan
to register
when 1 turn
18 so that
I could
participate
in tire next
election.”
‘Tart of it
is a sense
of obliga
tion, that it’s
something
I should do.
But 1 also
like to think
that my one
vote can
make a dif
ference.”
Golda Kamerman
This week's poll
compiled by
Alexandria Vallelunga
and Jeff Sorensen
Photo Illustrations by Adam J. Manley Clackamas Print
Letters to the editor
‘Cdnspiracy Corner’ sparks controversy over 9/1
I am actually very disappointed
that there isn’t a section in the
newspaper for “letters to the edi
tor.” I would love to be able to
comment, so that the entire college
could read, on the article printed in
regards to the conspiracy theories
... this time relating to 9/11.
It’s kind of ironic that there is
an article on teachers being biased,
and then there is a small blurb
on how the Clackamas Print is
also an unbiased paper, when in
feet I find it very conservative,
Republican and biased beyond
belief (except, of course, for the
lengthy sports pages ... are we
still in high school?). I think that
since you are reaching an entire
school with these biased articles,
that there should at least be a sec
tion within the paper for those of
us who do not agree with the opin
ions of the writers. All students
within the Clackamas institution
should be able to hear from all
sides of the story, especially if the
writers within the paper cannot
give them that.
To revisit my initial reasons for
writing, I have just moved here
from the east coast. While the twin
towers were hit, I lived one hour
north. One year previously, I had
lived in Brooklyn, across the east
river from the towers.
I find it fascinating how
“impacted” peoples’ lives have
been out here from that “feteful
day.” Most of the people that I
know, that have lived and still
live in NYC, hardly think about
9/11 as much as Oregonians do.
And their lives have been more
impacted than most of the state of
Oregon put together.
Fear is hot a control factor for
them ... They live there. If you
took a survey, an unbiased gen
eral survey, I think you would find
that most people within that area
would they themselves be some
what [sic] of conspiracy theories
regarding 9/11. A friend of mine,
who lived in the < y, had a brother
in the Army, stationed in Nebraska
at the time (a huge weapons center
of ours). The night before 9/11,
his brother called him and warned
him to go out of town.
He couldn’t tell him why. He
shouldn’t have even made the
phone call. How could that so
easily be tossed out the window
as an attachment to an exagger
ated conspiracy theory? Did the
U.S A. mastermind the whole 9/11
catastrophes? Saying that would
almost be laughable ... but did
the president or his “yes-men” or
officials in his cabinet know about
what might happen (98% chance)?
Was there enough evidence for
us to have been on a high alert
within the governmental agencies
(screw all this media crap about
“terror alert colors”)? Probably.
And, to base part of an article on
findings from a “9/11 commission
report”... how many times are we
going to facilitate the astronomical
lies of the government? How unbi
ased could a commissioned report
from the government to other gov
ernmental agencies be?!?!
Don’t we have CIA and!
and other forms of “secret sen
that are essentially invisible i
of the government, that have k
people?
Previous governmental p:
dents in Iran that we have k
and replaced just to facilitate
USA and big business = pl
knowledge.
There’s more to this gov
ment than anyone would ki
but to label all conspiracy theo
as heretics ... well, that’s d
right ridiculous. Most of our j
famous scientists, artists, phil
phers, geniuses were at one j
in time heretics .... What does
tell you?
--Rebecca Jane, CCC studfl
To send a letter to the edit
e-mail it io chiefed@clackam
edu, or drop it off at The /M
office, Roger Rook 135. 1