by AFT President Sandra Feldman
November 1998

The stakes in
Tuesday's election
are very high.

This was my first year in Washington--and what a year! Like most Americans, I've been appalled by the partisan shenanigans that have turned the American public into a bunch of unwilling peeping Toms. When people tell me they want to stop worrying about what their kids might see on TV or the Internet and just forget about independent prosecutors--and the whole nasty business--I know exactly what they mean.

I'm concerned, though, about the fallout from these reactions. Some surveys are predicting a big impact on voter turnout in the November elections. Though elections in nonpresidential years always attract fewer voters, these surveys say people are so turned off that they will stay away from the polls in record numbers. I hope they don't because there is so much at stake.

Don't Sit It Out

It's tempting to try to dissociate ourselves from the spectacle in Washington. But sitting out the election won't do a thing to get us what we need--a government that is more concerned with issues than with partisan politics.

People who are thinking about staying home on Election Day should remember that the current mess has done a lot more than embarrass a whole nation. While Congress has been busy playing politics, issues on which a majority of American voters agree have been shoved aside.

An eleventh-hour budget agreement did save the President's request for 100,000 new teachers, so many young children will now enjoy the benefits of smaller class size. But what happened to comprehensive tobacco legislation? To campaign finance reform? The patients' bill of rights? The school infrastructure legislation that would have helped fix the crumbling schools to which so many of our poor urban students are condemned? Were the people who insisted on dragging out this mess--and who now threaten us with an impeachment process that could drag on for months or even years--unaware of what they were doing?

If you think you'll show politicians a thing or two by giving the November elections a pass, you're wrong. There are real issues to be resolved in this election, and candidates differ widely on where they stand on these issues. Staying home means you're letting other people make decisions about things you care about--like the future of Social Security and public education. The only answer is to turn out to vote, and make sure you are voting for someone who stands for the things you believe are important. I know I'll be voting for people who support the President's education package. This would be a real legacy for the country that far outweighs any offenses the President may have committed.

A 'Civics Lesson'

Lots of people bemoan the civics lesson kids have been getting from the current crisis. You also hear about enterprising teachers who are turning the President's troubles into a vehicle for teaching about how our government works. But what about the lesson kids will get if their parents and neighbors stay home on Election Day? Do we want to teach our children to disregard one of the most important responsibilities--and privileges--of living in a free society? I don't think so, which is why we should all go out and vote on Election Day.