The AACP Newsletter |
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Since 1970 | Asian American Curriculum Project, Inc. - Books for All Ages | October 2004 |
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At a GlancePlant Preserve ProtectA new book published by AACP
Vote Cancellation by Ignorant Voters
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An Editorial by Leonard Chan and Edited by Philip Chin |
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"Voters should pass a political literacy test." What was I reading? While on vacation in Maui, I picked up a local newspaper (Maui Time Weekly). One editorial in particular caught my eye - "Triumph of the Stultocracy: Voters should pass a political literacy test." What was the writer, Ted Rall, talking about? After reading his piece with some chuckles and my head often shaking in agreement, I was amazed at the tangent that Rall was taking from the standard line of encouraging people to vote. Rall's basic point was that recent polls and man on the street interviews (see the poll done by the Program on International Policy Attitudes indicating voter ignorance) have shown that a large percentage of the general public is ill equipped to vote and thus should not. Rall goes on to suggest that people should pass a political literacy test before voting. It was radical and a bit disconcerting that he made some sense. He was right, why should I do so much studying of election candidates and issues, if other people that do far less can so easily cancel my vote? Shouldn't all the good citizens that do their political homework be upset at ignorant voters? Why should anybody that has a pulse vote? Had America become "a stultocracy: government by morons, for morons?" To quash these anti-democratic thoughts, I searched for reason to vote.
Reasons to VoteEmpowermentThe first reason that I could think of was empowerment - the psychological importance of feeling in control. What contributes to happiness is feeling that you have some control of your life. Voting may not give you a great sense of control, but it is a very rare case where nothing you vote for wins. Even the smallest win helps us feel some measure of control. Don't you feel a bit of joy when a sports team you cheer for wins? You didn't have much to do with the win, but don't you feel like you had something to do with it? The same can be said for voting - you may not consider your vote as meaning much, but it is satisfying to know something you voted for won.
Winning Isn't Everything Elections are the ultimate polls, they are the official record, and they are the means by which the citizenry creates its government. Smart politicians will not ignore the losing side if the percentages are high enough.
Who's Right? How do you know that you're right? Just because you may be armed with knowledge and logic that support your point of view, facts can often be interpreted in many ways. A strong belief in one's own correctness can often hinder one's ability to understand nuances that make candidates and issues gray rather than black or white. Sometimes the things that we want can have unintended consequences that we could not have foreseen - we've all experienced, read, or seen stories of such tales (take almost any Twilight Zone episode :). So why should we assume that a well-informed person would make any better decision than a less informed one?
Connecting With Your Neighbors |
important for complex societies such as our own. Most of us don't live on remote islands or in the woods where our actions might only affect ourselves. The completely libertarian system, where everybody does whatever they want, doesn't work when almost anything you do has some ramifications to your fellow man. You need to sometimes work with your neighbors, connect with them, make your voice heard, and vote.
Back to Outrage and What We Can DoPlease don't misconstrue my arguments above as advocacy for ignorant voters. I am upset to hear that others spend so little time to learn about the issues and the candidates, when I take it much more seriously. I don't like having my vote canceled out by some ignorant and/or illogical person on the other side. However, Ted Rall's idea of a competency test before voting is misguided and would not work. The public would never accept a political test in order to vote. I'm not even sure if it would be constitutionally legal.
Stay Informed It's your duty as a citizen or even as a non-voting resident to stay informed. We must learn to ignore sound bites in commercials, short flyers, and comedic entertainment. Rather than going for bites, go for the whole meal - read, listen, and watch, but choose your sources wisely. Thanks to PBS, NPR, and the Internet, we can find good information. It's sometimes tough to know when you are hearing or reading political spin, but there are some good sources out there. You have to work at it. But I know you're already a pro at this since you've found us :).
Stay Engaged
Volunteer for Non-Violent Causes
Give a Helping Hand to Inform Others
And If You Don't Know… Keep in mind that you're the fourth branch of government. At every election you become the boss - you have the power to fire or hire; you are in control. So use your power wisely and I hope your candidates and issues win (provided that they're in agreement with mine :-). |
The following books are discounted for subscribers to our newsletter. The discounts on these books end November 22, 2004. |
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Plant Preserve ProtectEdited by Lewis KawaharaA Publication of the Professional Gardeners' Federation of Northern California 2004, 179 pages, paperback. This book covers the history of the Professional Gardener' Federation of Northern California as told by the individual chapters of the organization. Because of the overwhelming percentages of Japanese American members during the early history of the organization, this book reveals an interesting facet of the Japanese American experience. This is a must read for anyone that knows someone in the business.
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Thousand Pieces of GoldBy Ruthanne Lum McCunn1981, 308 pages, Paperback. This is a new edition of Ruthanne Lum McCunn's classic novel, based on the life of Polly Bemis (Lalu), the story of a 19th century Chinese migrant to the US. The story covers her life of virtual bondage to eventual freedom in the early American West. This edition includes a new reader's guide that details McCunn's research for the novel and her discoveries in the years since.
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Momotaro
Retold by Hazuki Kataoka and David Battino |
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The Boy Who Tricked the GhostsBy Ellie CroweIllustrated by Tammy Yee 2003, 36 pages, hardback. This is the story of Ka'ulu, a real-life mischiefmaker who lived on the Hawaiian island of Maui and then is banished to the island of Lana'i more than five centuries ago. It is a story of cunning and triumph.
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IssunboshiBy George Suyeoka, Robert B. Goodman, Robert A. SpicerIllustrated by George Suyeoka 2003, 65 pages, Hardback. Armed with a needle for a sword, Issunboshi, the one-inch boy, becomes bodyguard to the Prime Minister's beautiful daughter, Miyuki. On the day she asks him to journey to the Shrine of Ise, where she will pray for a husband, his heart shatters for he is in love. How can the one-inch warrior of this classic Japanese folktale prove his worth to the lovely princess?
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