Voting in vain

I didn't vote Tuesday. \nNow, before the politically competent furrow their brows and shake their heads, let me explain my reasoning. It wasn't because I forgot, and it wasn't because I'm a hardcore anarchist. It's definitely not because I don't care.\nAlthough I thoroughly believe it is every citizen's civic duty to vote, I did not feel I was informed enough about the issues to partake in the elections this year. \nFor roughly 12 years of my life, I anticipated my 18th birthday for one reason: I could finally legally smoke. No, just kidding -- smoking is gross. The real reason for my eagerness was the opportunity to vote. I would become ripe with jealousy when my Republican mother and Democratic father would leave for the polls on Election Day. I wanted to vote, and I wanted to make a difference.\nUnfortunately, when my 18th birthday finally did take place, I was too "busy" to keep up with the issues. Applying to colleges and for scholarships took up a great deal of time. Plus, I had a very advanced case of senioritis and became too lazy to "be informed." This bad habit followed me through the summer and, inevitably, into college.\nI realize it is completely within my control to change this at any time; I just haven't yet. This is a goal of mine.\nPart of my obsession with voting from an early age can be attributed to the one and only MTV Rock the Vote campaign, which was created in 1990. When I was old enough to watch MTV (according to my mother), I considered myself old enough to vote. \nThe main idea of Rock the Vote, according to a recent MTV news break, is to "get out and make your voice heard no matter where you stand." MTV appears to have possibly made an impact in voter turnout for our generation: According to a Pew Research Center survey, political interest in young adults increased by 13 percent between the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections. Although I agree that everybody ought to vote, I see a major flaw: Just because we are now old enough to vote does not necessarily mean we are well-informed enough. It might be an American citizen's civic duty to vote, but it is also one's civic duty to be knowledgeable about the issues one is voting about. It is ignorant for somebody to vote strictly Democratic or Republican. Given the wide variation in beliefs among candidates within both camps, it is important to know who or what you are voting for as opposed to which party they represent.\nVoting just to be able to say you voted is potentially damaging to politics. Although voting sustains our great country, voting for the wrong candidate or issue is much more harmful than not voting at all. Before you "rock the vote," make sure you are in tune with the issues.