Older Voters Become Casual Citizens Presidential Election Voter Ed
Older Voters Become Casual Citizens - Presidential Election - Voter Ed...
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Florida is not alone. Nine states now have laws requiring government-issued photo ID cards to vote. Five made registration harder, and five have reduced absentee and early voting. All this in the name of fighting voter fraud that has yet to appear.
These initiatives target the poor and the — as many as 8 million people over 65, for example, no longer drive or lack approved ID forms. As egregious as these barriers may be, though, the more daunting obstacle to voters this year is self-imposed.
We have become casual citizens. We have never had easier access to more information. Too often we're caught in a cycle where we're more inclined to ignore information available to us and instead seek views that reaffirm what we already think. Academics call this "preference-consistent news," and the result too often is misinformation.
In the face of a still-sluggish economic recovery, income disparity, a record national debt and a paralyzed federal government, citizens have become discouraged, distracted and, most of all, uninterested. Structural problems facing and have festered for years. We talk about new initiatives in education, health care, space travel, new military adventures or new weapons systems as if they were menu items at America's free lunch counter. But there is no free lunch.
We all want lower . But where do we have the debate about what we want our government to do and then how to finance it? We must do better. Andrew Bacevich is a thoughtful retired Army officer, author and Boston University professor. He is pessimistic about the ability of the president — any president — or a dysfunctional Congress to surmount institutional straitjackets or partisan politics. But he's optimistic about the role citizens can play. If we engage. "Yesterday's civic obligations," Bacevich says, "have become today's options." We can do better than that. As Americans 50 and older, we likely will constitute the majority voting bloc in November. We must look beyond our comfort zone to study the issues important to us with fresh eyes and new energy. Fight the obstacles. Replace today's civic options with our civic obligation. Also of interest: Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures
We Have Met the Enemy and It Is Us
If partisan gridlock continues in Washington we have no one to blame but ourselves
We're holding an election in spite of ourselves. The League of Women Voters has shut down its voter registration efforts in , and Souls to the Polls, a fleet of buses that has transported Floridians from churches to polling places since 2004, is grounded. That's because 12 years after its hanging-chad fiasco, Florida has decided to tighten voter access and threaten, with stiff fines and possible jail, groups that help voters register. See also:Related
— Receive access to exclusive information, benefits and discounts.
Florida is not alone. Nine states now have laws requiring government-issued photo ID cards to vote. Five made registration harder, and five have reduced absentee and early voting. All this in the name of fighting voter fraud that has yet to appear.
These initiatives target the poor and the — as many as 8 million people over 65, for example, no longer drive or lack approved ID forms. As egregious as these barriers may be, though, the more daunting obstacle to voters this year is self-imposed.
We have become casual citizens. We have never had easier access to more information. Too often we're caught in a cycle where we're more inclined to ignore information available to us and instead seek views that reaffirm what we already think. Academics call this "preference-consistent news," and the result too often is misinformation.
In the face of a still-sluggish economic recovery, income disparity, a record national debt and a paralyzed federal government, citizens have become discouraged, distracted and, most of all, uninterested. Structural problems facing and have festered for years. We talk about new initiatives in education, health care, space travel, new military adventures or new weapons systems as if they were menu items at America's free lunch counter. But there is no free lunch.
We all want lower . But where do we have the debate about what we want our government to do and then how to finance it? We must do better. Andrew Bacevich is a thoughtful retired Army officer, author and Boston University professor. He is pessimistic about the ability of the president — any president — or a dysfunctional Congress to surmount institutional straitjackets or partisan politics. But he's optimistic about the role citizens can play. If we engage. "Yesterday's civic obligations," Bacevich says, "have become today's options." We can do better than that. As Americans 50 and older, we likely will constitute the majority voting bloc in November. We must look beyond our comfort zone to study the issues important to us with fresh eyes and new energy. Fight the obstacles. Replace today's civic options with our civic obligation. Also of interest: Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures