With the Democratic Primary fast approaching, the candidates have stepped up the pace in these last days in an effort to secure your vote. The Mass Media does not support any particular candidate, but we encourage all students to go to the voting booths and be a part of the action.

Without the active participation of the people our government is an illusion, and complaining won’t change that, only voting will. In recent elections the overall turnout of eligible voters has dipped below fifty percent, and the turnout of college students, the heirs and future of this nation, has fallen below ten percent.

Without developing the active participation of the youth of America in the electoral process overall voter turnout percentages will continue to fall.

We commend the student groups on campus who are actively promoting voter registration and community involvement in the electoral process. These students are the true future leaders of the United States. Whether you agree with those students or not, if you don’t vote, it is irrelevant. The active voters are the ones who will affect policies.

Similar to the instructions for using shampoo-lather, rinse, repeat-are the basic instructions for changing a democratic society-advocate, vote, repeat.

Change is often a slow and painful process, and anybody who desires change should be prepared for a long and arduous task. While many deride all current candidates, the fact is that cussing and whining won’t make them go away. Not voting only ensures that the candidate you most despise has a better chance at gaining office.

If you are a liberal, a radical, or even a conservative, only by voting for the candidate who most closely represents your point of view can you begin to shift the path of society.