Wow! Well-known journalist Jim Lehrer is coming to speak at Tufts for graduation. This really is an honor for the entire Tufts community. As a freshman, I have never experienced a commencement here and so, besides much mention of last year's choice of Bill Cosby, I do not know much about the history of Tufts' choice of speakers. However, I would make a guess that the selection committee looks for a speaker who represents the ideals and core values of a Tufts education. Obviously, the speaker does not need to have graduated from Tufts. Clearly, though, the speaker is one who is chosen with pride and honor to bestow his words of wisdom on that particular graduating class.
In terms of this year's selection, Tufts has done a fairly good job. Jim Lehrer is an accomplished author of novels and plays, and a world-renowned journalist. His NewsHour with Jim Lehrer is looked to as a primary news source, having interviewed many influential people. He also served our country by joining the Marine Corps. He has covered such diverse stories as Watergate, the Persian Gulf War, and numerous presidential campaigns. He has been awarded many awards for his distinguished journalism. In addition to his day job, he has been a moderator for nine of the presidential debates in the last four presidential campaigns. Clearly, on the surface, he is someone that reflects most of the ideals of the Tufts community.
However, while reading his biography on the website for his news show, one thing was clearly missing. Jim Lehrer has never voted in a national political election. For the past two or three decades, there has been a decline in voter turnout for the 18-24 year-old age bracket. This can be attributed to many factors. Most often, young people say that it does not seem like the government is working for them and they just do not care. If we do not care, how can we expect our leaders to care!
Voting is one of the single easiest forms of active citizenship that we can practice. In the class "Leadership for Active Citizenship," there has been discussion as to how to increase active citizenship among young people in our society. We have spoken with many prominent people in different fields about their own definition of the term and what they think we can do to increase it. Although people may not always agree on what defines an active citizen, it is clearly every American's civic duty to vote. The Revolutionary War was fought because the opinions of the colonists were being ignored. We fought for freedom, liberty, and the right to avoid oppression. I do not mean to get all misty-eyed and patriotic, but clearly people died for our right to vote and our right to a democratic government. How can we say we are living in a democratic society if a 50 percent voter turnout is impressive? How can we complain about the democratic process and the results of the last presidential election if the majority of citizens are not doing their duty by voting?
It is one thing to focus these voting campaigns on the younger sector of the voting population, but is it too much to ask that our civic leaders also display this behavior? Jim Lehrer, who has perhaps influenced our view of presidential candidates in the last four campaigns, does not even vote! As much of a distinguished journalist and public figure as he is, he is not fulfilling his basic civic duty. How can we expect him to speak for the nation when he does not even take part in choosing its representatives?
When I first heard that Jim Lehrer has never voted, I must say I was disappointed and shocked. This was a man that merely by profession I had learned to trust as a voice of reason in politics. The political affiliation of our newscasters is supposed to be irrelevant so as not to color our view of the news they report. Clearly, I am not saying that I think Jim Lehrer should announce his political preferences. But not to vote is a different subject. To try to represent your country and to fail to fulfill your one and only true civic duty is a letdown.
With Tufts' recent addition of the University College of Citizenship and Public Service, Tufts' commitment to producing active citizens for the next generation is truly impressive. Indeed, that is one of the reasons I chose to come to Tufts. However, in trying to select a representative of the Tufts ideals, the selection committee has let down the Tufts community by choosing someone who does not even carry out his basic civic responsibility.
Emily Rhodes is a freshman who has not yet declared a major.
