This isn't about politics

Some of you might be wondering, with the election fast approaching, if I'm completely oblivious to the existence of one of the closest presidential races of our lifetime. I haven't mentioned it once in a single column. I haven't presented arguments as to why Kerry's voting record shouldn't matter, nor have I presented arguments as to why Bush's handling of Sept. 11 alone should win him the election. Why?\nSome would argue that I have some sort of duty to use this public forum as a way to rally student voters, to influence them, to urge them on. But I heartily disagree. I in no way intend to use my 620-word space to share my views on politics.\nLet me back-track a second: I do believe you should vote. If you want to hear a very long, passionate speech on why you should go vote, come and see me. I'll keep it brief for now: There are people all over this world that would die, literally, to be able to determine their own destiny. The girl undergoing circumcision (extreme genital mutilation) in Africa would give anything to be able to participate in a government where her voice is heard. The little boy in Haiti who witnessed the bloody overthrow of his government only to see his world destroyed by a hurricane and replaced by anarchy would be overwhelmed by the opportunity to choose the people who rule his small world.\nI do believe very strongly that you should vote, but I refuse to tell you for whom to vote. Politics are a very personal thing, believe it or not. The media, of which I am regretfully a part, would have you believe that everyone fits into one of two categories -- except for those third-party freaks. But I don't fit into either of those categories. I agree and disagree with issues on both sides of the table. I hate the term bipartisan because it assumes the sides are polar opposites, but there I am, sitting in the middle, not knowing with whom to side.\nI know who I'm going to vote for, but it's not because I agree with every single one of his ideas. In fact, I disagree with several of them. But I disagree with more of the other guy's. So who am I voting for? I'm not going to tell you. I refuse to have the smallest amount of influence on anyone's political choice; it's just too much responsibility for me. Some may think I'm blowing this out of proportion, but let's look at it this way: Say I present an argument that convinces a bunch of students to vote for Bush, and those students happen to absentee vote in Florida. Now imagine, for some bizarre reason, that the election becomes contentious. Those students' votes could sway the election, and I'm not ready to take on that responsibility.\nNo matter what I could say in my short, little column for or against one of the candidates, it wouldn't even come close to presenting each candidate's entire platform. And the only thing worse than influencing someone's political choice is influencing it based upon only a fraction of the entire truth. I am a very strong advocate of (gasp!) educating yourself, of going out and searching for what the candidate really believes. But since no one really has the time to wade through the political jargon, I'll present another option. Find an issue, just one issue, that really matters to you. Find out where each candidate stands on that issue and use it as the influencing factor to you.\nSo even though I'm not going to make it easy for you and tell you whom to choose, I will tell you that you owe it to the African girl and the Haitian boy to take advantage of an amazing right and choose your own destiny.