Americans Enslaved Both to and through Apathy

According to Wichita: Population Profile, the total number of city residents for the year 2000 was 344,284. The age categories are listed by 5 year increments, but that still allows one to consider the primary voting age population of 20 years and older. Subtracting the numbers for those under 20, 102,704 from 344,284 leaves a total of 241,580 people of voting age. And this number does not count 18-19 year olds.

So out of 241,580 people, 26,305 voted in the February 28 special election regarding the City Council’s attempt to misdirect tax money for private gain. This is slightly less than 11 percent of those who could have voted.

What does this mean?

It seems to indicate at least three things.

1. that the perception among the citizenry regarding whether their efforts can have a genuine and substantial impact upon the actions of the government and government leaders is becoming more negative
   
2. that people are pressed so hard to fight for personal survival that fewer and fewer people are investing the time and effort required to make informed political decisions
   
3. that fewer and fewer people believe that they are empowered to learn sufficiently the issues on which they would vote
   

During my activities earlier in the day I spoke with a number of people regarding the special election. I spoke to about a dozen people, small businessmen who serve the community with their businesses, intelligent businessmen who are well educated and hard workers. They all said that they did not know enough about the issue to vote responsibly. When I shared the details with them, details that were in the local paper and easily accessible on the Internet, they were appalled by the facts. They all were enraged by what was being done. Yet not one indicated an intention to go and vote against what they counted as being wrong. Not one.

Perhaps some did decide to go and vote. I hope so.

But what is wrong that less than 11% actually voted?

We receive no television broadcasts in our home. We no longer receive the newspaper because of the endless lies and misrepresentations in it. Yet I knew about this issue.

Why?

First, those who were seeking to steal the tax money kept calling me trying to convince me to vote in favor of it. These calls were of the type that I recognized as deceptive propaganda, simply by the language and approach utilized. This alone made me investigate.

But there were also billboards all over town. There were mailings of propaganda. There were radio advertisements. There were campaign lawn signs on the street corners.

What is happening that people no longer hear or see? How is it that people no longer perceive?

Is this merely apathy, or is this something more?

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