After turning 18, I dutifully registered to vote. At the first opportunity I went to my neighborhood-voting center, armed with a book in hand to keep me occupied in the anticipated line.
On arrival, I discovered no line. The rows of voting booths were empty. The workers, excited to have a person come, any person, explained to me how the process worked. I stepped into the booth feeling confident; proud to exercise the right that my fore sisters had fought for. I closed the curtain, turned to the table, and proceeded to read the first line.
That’s when I found that I had no clue what I was doing. On the ballot were district things, law things, and things that I had no name for. What did this law mean; it sounds good, has a lot of big words, but what is its practical application? Who is this person I can vote for and how come they have no competition? What if I don’t want to vote for them; do I leave it blank; will blank become district judge; what is a district judge anyway? Just WHAT is going on?
After an hour of picking tigers by their toes, I left. The "I voted" sticker seemed to mock me. It said things like "you really didn't do anything" and "you should've just stayed at home" and "you proved the opponents of women's suffrage right".
I realized then that if I were to become a responsible, informed participant in democracy, I would have to learn how the government works. Only after can I decide if I am a democrat, or republican; if I am for, or against; if my voice is really heard, or if - like Mao’s paper tiger – I am all show, and no substance.
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