I must admit that I was disappointed when my mentee did not vote last year but her excuse was the same as mine when I was her age..and even older. It wasn't that we felt our votes did not matter...we felt like it did not matter who was in office (regardless it would be bad) or at least we were looking as the same shit, different day(s). Personally, I wanted the whole system to be overhauled. I wanted revolution not voter registration. In many ways I still feel the same way but I wanted anybody but Bush last year.

Also, I found a definition of "right" at www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn

Right is "an abstract idea of that which is due to a person or governmental body by law or tradition or nature; "they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights"; "Certain rights can never be granted to the government but must be kept in the hands of the people"- Eleanor Roosevelt; "a right is not something that somebody gives you; it is something that nobody can take away"

IMHO our ancestors fought and died for more than our right to vote. They fought for our rights as human beings, as citizens, as individuals, and as positive, productive members of our communities. These rights are not always guaranteed by whomever is in office or who sits in Capitol Hill.

My mentee was aware of this more than anything. We have to teach young people that they matter, that their contributions matter in order to see how they might impact the larger world. We have to teach young people how to think more critically and be media literate.

>To have SOME type of voice within a country built for many
>men not of our skin tone.

There is some question in many minds what and who exactly this country was built for but I agree that people should take more of an active role in who gets elected. It's the bigger picture I am looking at...as well as my awareness of my own role and the terms in which I choose to live. For this last thing I have my ancestors to thank.