By Kristina Bond
Correspondent
May 31, 2008 05:30 am Every four years, the media swarms around the potential presidential candidates, critiquing their viewpoints and political stances. During this same time, citizens are making decisions about which candidate to vote for. What happens when you can't seem to agree with a high percentage of any candidate's views? Should you vote anyway? Would you buy a house in a state you don't want to live in? Would you watch the Celtics playoff games if you don't watch basketball? No. Then why would you vote if you don't know whom to vote for or simply aren't interested in politics and can't make an informed decision? I am not in support of the "vote because you should" concept. When answering a question on a test, we are taught to eliminate answers we know are wrong until we are left with one answer, hopefully the correct one. If we can't figure out the answer, we should guess. But politics is not about making a guess. In these cases, it's better to be informed and 100 percent sure of who you're voting for; don't just speculate because you feel a moral obligation to vote. I want to be confident in the person I choose to support; and if I can't make an educated decision, I want the people who have to choose the next president of the United States for me. Just because I can vote doesn't mean I should vote, or that it is my moral obligation to vote. I don't expect to agree with any single candidate completely, but if I can't decide, those who can should vote. Instead of giving in to the nationwide obsession with holding events that encourage people to "get out there and vote" or "vote or die," I'd rather leave the voting to those who care and understand the political process. There is no "obligation" to educate yourself and to get informed, but if you are going to vote, vote wisely. Those who vote on a whim or without proper knowledge are the ones who "rock the vote" — just not in a good way. The upcoming presidential election will be the first opportunity for me to vote. Currently, none of the current candidates has persuaded me to vote for them. Supporting a certain candidate based on your own opinion is a good thing. So if you have made that choice, vote that way. If Election Day comes and I still don't have an opinion, I won't be voting. It's simple: If I cannot choose, I shouldn't have to choose just to comply with the social norm. If I don't know for certain that I feel one way or another when it comes to deciding the next president of the Unites States, I will not pick a side based on incomplete data. nnn Kristina Bond of Topsfield is a senior at Masconomet Regional High School who just completed a reporting internship at The Salem News.
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