Fight the power

With an election year already upon us, it is nearing that time when we will have to make that most important of decisions. No, it is not which candidate we will vote for -- that would be getting ahead of ourselves. The critical decision is simply this: are you going to get your ass out there and vote?\nFor many of you, this is the first presidential election in which you can legally participate, so you need to realize that your vote does make a difference. Need I remind you of the insanity of the 2000 election, an election in which the candidate who received the most popular votes did not become president? \nPerhaps a few more votes here and there could have made a difference, but we will never know. The only certainty is that all the pieces did not add up in the Florida recount, but I will stop there because we have all heard enough about that. For the full story, read Academy Award winner (2002 Best Documentary) Michael Moore's book "Stupid White Men." In a world where presidents cannot be trusted, Moore digs up the truth and reveals it to the public whether people want to hear it or not. \nOur current president, George W. Bush, has made quite a name for himself throughout his term. Some may say he is an unfit and underachieving president who has sent young Americans to die in a meaningless war (he was the first U.S. president to unilaterally attack a sovereign nation against the will of the United Nations), damaged the economy (over 2 million Americans lost their jobs in his first two years of office) and destroyed the environment (while governor of Texas, Houston replaced L.A. as the most smog-ridden city in the U.S.). \nBut don't take my word for it. That is the whole point of this column. Go out and do your own research. If you are pro-Bush, prove to yourself why he should serve another term. If you are pro-Kerry (who will almost certainly face Bush in the election), find out all you can about this man who went from scarcely known underdog to frontrunner in the Democratic primary. \nWhile Bush has pulled his fair share of boners (to say the least) in office, one good thing has resulted from his being elected president. The country has been slapped in the face and people seem to be paying more attention to national issues instead of believing everything we are told (aren't we still waiting for evidence of those "weapons of mass destruction?"). \nCable networks (MTV's Rock the Vote), celebrities (Alec Baldwin, Michael Moore) and even rock bands (NOFX, the Suicide Machines and even the Dixie Chicks in their own way) are out there trying to educate the youth of America to vote. I have been to several shows in the past year where the bands have strongly urged people to register and vote and even handed out pamphlets recounting Bush's accomplishments (if they can be called that), which often include funny quotes from W himself. Example: "Arbolist … Look up the word. I don't know, maybe I made it up. Anyway, it's an arbo-tree-ist, someone who knows about trees." He has a way with words.\nSeveral bands, led by NOFX singer/Fat Records owner Fat Mike Burkett, will be banding together over the next several months for a tour and compilation CD, both of which are entitled Rock Against Bush. The tour will feature such bands as the Alkaline Trio, Lawrence Arms and NOFX to name a few, and the CD will feature songs from 26 different artists. \nEven if you are the biggest Bush proponent in the country, you have to appreciate the fact that these bands are utilizing their power to reach and influence thousands of young people. Not everyone will vote because their favorite band told them to, but little by little they are getting the word out. \nWe are at the age now where the president has more of an effect on our lives than ever before. He not only influences the stability of the economy and the cost of our college education, but he essentially holds our lives in his hand. What if an all-out war were to hit and the president decided to reinstate the draft? \nMany of us are and will be looking for jobs in the near future, and thanks to the poor state of the economy this will not be an easy task. Perhaps Bush should not be held entirely responsible for the fact that unemployment has reached a nine-year high, but because he is our president, he cannot be free of blame. \nEmployment is and should always be among the most important issues of our nation. If Bush isn't going to do anything about it then someone else should. And if job security won't get you to vote, I don't know what will. Maybe free beer? How about this stat: the 18 to 24 year old voter demographic dropped to an all time low of 38% in 2000 (www.punkvoter.com has loads of fun facts). So if you don't vote, remember this next time you bitch about something stupid Bush did: You had the chance to have some input. Register to vote.