Are you proud of who you are voting for on Tuesday? Most of us have seen some of the politically active students on campus. You know, those people who wouldn't be seen without campaign stickers on their book bags and who would gladly skip a class to stand on a street corner in Boston rallying support for their candidate. But not all Tufts students seem so enthusiastic about the election. It seems the slogan of choice these past few weeks has been "choosing between the lesser of two evils."
Why, at a college like Tufts, where the students pride themselves on being some of the most intellectual in the country, is it so popular to claim complete apathy about the election? When you step into the voting booth you are using your judgment, your intelligence, and your values to pick the candidate who will best represent you and your desires. What is wrong with being proud of your decision?
The apathy about the campaign on the Tufts campus seems to come more from Bush voters than any others. It has been my experience that Tufts students who plan on voting for Bush are ashamed to tell people who they are voting for or to stand up for what they believe in. It is possible that some may feel intimidated by showing support for a candidate who the minority of students here on campus back. I know several students who have been insulted for wearing Bush campaign shirts and stickers.
Many students simply want to fit in. And on a liberal campus such as Tufts, this may mean keeping one's mouth shut when it comes to the election. We laugh in Dewick at the anti-Bush jokes, and we don't raise our hand in classes to defend conservative ideas. I don't claim to be any better. After being constantly bothered by people stopping by to offer negative comments on the McCain campaign paraphernalia on my door last March, I decided this year not to show any sign of who I support in the election. It's partially because I don't what the annoyance of always having to defend my political beliefs to a usually uninformed hall-mate, but also because I don't want people to judge me negatively by which political party I support.
What I failed to realize earlier this year is that your political beliefs are part of you, part of your values, and part of who you are. They should not be suppressed or denied, just as any part of yourself should not be suppressed because you are concerned about what some freshman down the hall thinks of you. Of all the things we will do this month, voting should be one that we are most proud of. It's a chance for us to stop complaining about government, to evaluate the system, make an educated decision, and do something about it by changing who controls the country.
As for me and the other Bush supporters who are too concerned about image to openly admit who they support in the election, it's time to be proud. You don't have to personally like George W. Bush or think he is the best possible man in the country who could be president. But when you vote for George W. Bush, you are not simply voting for a name and a personality. You are voting for principles and for a plan to reform government.
A vote for Bush is not a vote for the man you like better, but for less government, keeping more of your hard-earned money, improving the nation's schools and education system, and restoring dignity to the office of president. When you vote your values, your principles, and your future, you should never be embarrassed or ashamed. Although you may feel like a minority on the Tufts campus, millions of Americans will be voting your way on Tuesday. Be proud of who you are, be proud of who you want to represent you. You don't have to tell everyone who you voted for or put that "W. 2000" sticker on your car, but feel good about what you did for yourself and for your country.
Meghan Sweeney is a junior majoring in Chemical Engineering. She is the president of Tufts Republicans.
