“I’m Just Not Into Politics”

Send this to a friend who doesn’t vote

Think of this as an intervention. Your friend sent you here because they love you. They want the best for you. And unfortunately, what is best for you — and the world — is for you to click this link and register yourself to vote.

Being apolitical is easy — you may avoid the occasional uncomfortable conversation with your new co-worker, roommate, or sibling. Still, the stakes of not being involved are so much higher. I know this because I used to feel this way. I used not to care — I was too busy with school, didn’t quite see the point in “politics,” and I thought it was best to avoid conflict and say neutral. But it all changed when I understood that politics touched every part of our lives, and even if we don’t follow politics, politics still follows us.

1. Our Earth is Dying. According to a 2018 United Nations report, we have less than ten years to stop climate change effects until the effects are irreversible. Missouri State University is playing a role in destroying our planet by investing 6% of our student tuition money into dangerous Fossil Fuel companies. Sunrise Springfield, a national climate change organization on campus, is leading the charge to #DivestMostate. They have negotiated with the University to invest in clean energy, and according to their most recent updates on Instagram, talks with the University’s foundation were highly productive. They have much work to do, but their negotiations + their hugely successful student-signed petition resulted in Missouri State decreasing 1/6th of their fossil fuel investments (literally) overnight.
2. Police Brutality. If we want to put the public back in public safety, then it is vital that we vote for a Mayor, Attorney General, and Police Chief with that vision. According to a report published by the Criminal Justice Reform group, Arch City Defenders, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department is leading nationally in officer-based violence and surpasses Chicago and Los Angeles. Change happens locally, and voting is how we begin to fix systemic issues like racial justice and police violence.
3. Voter Suppression. As I type this sentence, Missouri Lawmakers are hard at work passing restrictive and expansive voting legislation. After a massive surge in voter participation (specifically with young people and people of color), lawmakers are working around the clock to make it harder for you and me to vote. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, as of January 2021, Missouri became the third most suppressed state in the Nation. We are witnessing an assault on voting rights similar to the Jim Crow Era. This legislation is intentionally crafted to make it harder for BIPOC, immigrants, low-income, and young voters to participate in democracy, and we cannot let them win.

Going forward, voting is the floor… the absolute bare minimum. No matter who you are, you have a role to play. We cannot sit on the sidelines and watch our communities get struck by the failures of our own political inaction.