By Kelsey Verboom

Pioneer Staff

I picked on the apathetic members of my generation this past Remembrance Day, and Im going to do it again now.

During the last general election in 2008, the number of eligible voters aged 18-24 who bothered to cast a ballot totalled a paltry 37.4 per cent. The next age category up didnt fare much better. This isnt really a new trend, but its still an unnecessary one.

There are many reasons for voter apathy among younger voters, like feeling marginalized, not receiving proper encouragement, and a general perception that politics are an irrelevant factor in our everyday lives.

These are all valid reasons, and easy ones to pick on. But come on, give the younguns some credit: I know the general downswing in young voter numbers isnt because theyre incapable, uneducated, or too sluggish to pull away from the computer. Every age category has the ability to vote, and vote well.

Regardless of the causes, young voters have every opportunity to reverse these embarrassingly low voting trends. The explosion of social media outlets has made it more possible than ever to create vibrant discussion about candidates, post links to election websites, and pick on Facebook friends who say they dont care.

I applaud the efforts of the students and teachers at David Thompson Secondary School, who are holding a complete mock political process at school to engage and educate young voters and breed good voting habits for the future. Way to go.

So, this May 2nd and for every local, provincial, and federal election following bust out your voter registration card (and you if you dont have one, get one). People all over the world are literally killing each other for the right to vote. We have that right, so lets use it, not abuse it.