TO THE EDITOR:
We should all vote, but if we really care about the issues in this election then we have to make sure voting isn’t the only way we contribute to our democracy.
One of the best ways to influence policy outside of voting is to become a dues-paying member of a grassroots advocacy organization. The NRA has so successfully mastered this tactic with their 4 million dues-paying members that not only did President Barack Obama not add any gun regulation, but he actually signed two laws expanding the right to carry firearms.
So if you care about civil liberties and don’t think Obama or Mitt Romney will stop the war on drugs or the use of drone strikes, join the ACLU.
Want to see climate change tackled? Join the Sierra Club and Greenpeace.
Even if you don’t have money to join, you can be a fan on Facebook of these groups to stay current on the issues and regularly write your lawmakers.
As the NRA shows every year, politicians fear organizations with popular support and committed members. So if you are tired of politics as usual and don’t expect meaningful change to come from the voting booth alone, commit yourself to some amazing advocacy groups and give politicians a reason to care about your opinion after election day.
Zach Ferguson ‘14
