by Craig Thompson

"We are anxious for you to know that we want to be and insist upon being a part of our American democracy, not something apart from it. We know from experience that our interests are too often neglected, ignored or scuttled unless we have effective representation in the formative stages..." Mary McLeod Bethune - National Council of Negro Women, November 26, 1938

The other day I was engaged in a serious political discussion at the location where the great debates take place: the barbershop. During our discussion, the topic of voting arose, and surprisingly, the majority of the men in the shop had not planned to vote in the upcoming elections. In fact, many were not even registered to vote. I soon found myself defending the American political system, because I was hit with a barrage of statements as to why individual votes do not count.

I found myself relying on the arguments I had heard over and over again: "our ancestors died for the right to vote;" "voting is a right that we can't take for granted:" "if you don't vote, you have no voice." It quickly occurred to me that the comments I made did not resonate with my barber shop colleagues. Indeed, my arguments were met with even more prepared responses which demonstrated the strength of their positions. I realized that the "old school" line of reasoning used to increase voter pools no longer worked on a generation totally alienated from the people and processes involved.

The plea made by Mary McLeod Bethune almost sixty five years ago was directed to the American power structure in an effort to impress upon it the importance of our involvement. Interestingly, that same quote can be directed at those of us who are taking a significant portion of our community for granted, while simultaneously attempting to motivate them with cliches and soundbites. We want a true democracy, and desire to include those of us who feel, many times legitimately, left out of the loop. Thus, it is crucial that we employ strategies to which the "new schoolers" among us can relate. I suggest the following:

KEEP IT REAL - Politics is not solely about the past - it is about the here and now. For many of us, what happened in the past is merely an illusion, and the reality of today is what exists. Accept it! That is not to say that we eliminate our study and use of history. It is to say that we have to recognize the power of the here and now, and construct arguments for political involvement which focus more on the potential to change our current reality.

LIVE YOUR MESSAGE - Few things are worse than hypocrisy. As we work to increase the number of registrants and voters in our communities, remember that your message is a reflection of you. Have you voted consistently over the last five years? Have you campaigned for people who touted the messages which connected with your needs? Have you contributed resources (time, money, etc.) to organizations and individuals who worked to promote your interests? To get people involved, we have to be living examples of our verbal messages.

BE VIGILANT! - These are tough times, and those times have created tough people. Political events over the past few years, including the Florida presidential ballot scandal, have soured many of us to the political process. Accordingly, it is critical that we work diligently to dispel myths, educate and motivate many in our neighborhoods who feel detached from the system. We have to stay the course, and do as much as possible to pass on the messages effectively.

Too many of us have frustrated ourselves right out of the political process. To get us back on track, we have to use simple, but worthwhile strategies to make it happen. The upcoming elections are extremely important to our future - we cannot stand idly by and gaze while our interests go neglected, ignored and scuttled.

Craig Thompson is an attorney, lecturer, writer and host of weekly radio and television shows. At age 32, Craig is a highly sought after public speaker, addressing topics such as leadership, goal setting and self-esteem. He has spoken across the country at churches, schools, colleges and to civic organizations. He can be reached at cathompson42001@yahoo.com