Michael Eric Dyson: To The Young & Disillusioned Who Didn't Vote in 2010

[Lucious25]

Michael, this ain't about self-pity! It's about the cessation of rewarding political bad-behavior with our vote. The lesser of two evils is still voting for evil!! Is it apathy, or is it seeing through the facade? I support my community through my actions, but these crooks ain't gettin' my vote!

[WOLVESVIDS]

i thought i loved this guy..but this is by far the stupidest thing to have ever come out of his mouth

[moocow1305]

Reading the comments, you all make valid points, but in MY OPINION, many of you are missing the point, it is not just about this election. People actually shed blood, so that we can have the right to vote, so we need to exercise that right, because at the end of the day, that is "our voice", so if you don't vote, basically you can't complain about anything that happen to black people. Even though, we are playing a game we can't win, we just gotta get in where we fit in, or become a victim.

[whateverdude1984]

mr dyson says what he says...i believe that until a non-white person is willing to lose all his or her financial comforts and status to be an example of what they want to see in other non-white people, then that person can't speak on what another non-white person should do.

[WileE116]

Instead of criticizing the youth, he needs to redirect that criticism to his generation. His generation failed. His generation benefit from the Civil Rights movement--they were not part of the movement. Perhaps the youth perceives the election process as irrelevant because the neither party has the interest of the citizens of this nation--just the corporate interest. I'm becoming to find dyson as a opportunist on many levels.

[RodneyShaneRuss]

Dyson is out of touch with the every day realities young black males. It's hard to get people excited about voting when there's 45% unemployment across the board for teen black males. In today's climate a black male has just as good a chance of doing jail time as finding a job. The black electorate is not to blame for the repub takeover, and he knows it. It's called finding a scapegoat. Dyson's simply throwing stones from the ivory towers of academina. Maybe he should take his own advice.

[DenmarkVesey1822]

Brother Michael,

What substantive policy difference would there be for young people if EVERY one of them voted ... compared to if NOT ONE of them voted?

Are there candidates on the ballot willing to dismantle the For-Profit-Prison system? Are there candidates on the ballot willing to stop the war in Afghanistan that costs us $130 M per day and makes us less safe?

A vote for the Lesser of two evils is still ... a vote for evil.

The most intelligent young people will reject fake democracy.

[DenmarkVesey1822]

Brother Michael,

Voting, for the sake of voting, is not only silly, it is unethical and counterproductive to the political interests of the people to whom you refer as "Young and Disillusioned".

Today both parties are dependent for campaign finance on international banks, the military security complex, AIPAC, Oil, and Big Pharma. Campaigns no longer consist of debates over issues. They are mud-slinging contests.

WE HAVE 1 PARTY WITH 2 NAMES.

Voting empowers the liars.

[skuderjay]

so if a person does not see either side as representing what he or she believes to be the a good choice, he or she should just close their eyes and just choose anyway. or what? You can't just tell folks to vote anyway.. you need to figure out why they aren't voting and then

speak to that.. you may just find another platform there to address the issues that are completely overlooked by the other parties..

[SilkySlim21]

Michael you always say what needs to be said, and I did fall into the same self pity that you speak of and didn't realize it until, the morning after. The difficulty Is voting for a party that does not support what I believe in, it seems as if we are supporting a lesser of two evils.

[Dnh3one]

its a new day and a new struggle

[AzzedineAliaFan]

And to all that did not vote, don't complain, when the repubs. do their dirty deeds to the poor & middle working class because you had a chance to get out & vote, no excuses, u could have voted by absentee ballot, it makes me so ANGRY that many have become so complacent in this day and age of special interests & dirty repubs., i'm not on the front lines like i should be but i do get out to vote. Not sure why because truly either party never has "our" best interests at heart.

[M3mPHiS]

no one can fix the AMerican economy in the space of one year. It's not Obama's fault.

[AzzedineAliaFan]

@M3mPHiS exactly, it's a dayum shame the pressure & disrepsect "they" have put on this man!!!!!!!!!!!!! glad i got out to vote, my state is a dem. state ALL THE WAY!