With the elections around the corner, a huge focus in society is being pulled towards candidates for various positions and towards the upcoming bill that will be voted upon.
While there are a variety of bills on the horizon that have potential, one that everyone is talking about is Amendment 66 to the Colorado State Constitution. Now don’t be confused, the fact that people are talking isn’t actually a huge deal, the reason that they are talking is that the lobbyists on campus won’t shut up. The only reason that people are talking is to complain about the political pollution on campus. But other than that – let’s be honest, college students don’t care about politics or really anything that is presently going on in society.
Ad
To backtrack, let me explain: Amendment 66 is a bill that will increase personal income tax to benefit the arts in the public education system in the state of Colorado. This bill will reduce personal income after tax, but will redirect large sums into the education system. The lobby group in charge of the bill is purporting that this will increase the amount of jobs in education in the state of Colorado in the short term and in the long term will result in productivity gains. For more information amendment 66’s website can be found at http://coloradocommits.com/66-explained/
While I applaud the gusto to which this lobby group has defended their ideals and how much work has gone into the campaign. But the fact is, the way Amendment 66 is being supported by the concerned citizens that make up the lobby is getting in the way of the educational process of the students and polluting campus.
With all of the paper floating around the campus, the environment is getting trashed, the people handing out flyers and leaving them around are ruining the campus with all of their waste. And by writing all over the study areas they are actually slowing the education of the students by supporting the continuation of funding to education in the community.
These campaigns need to realize that while some college students are actively involved in the political process, that there are a significant number who cannot vote in the state of Colorado and an even larger portion who don’t care about what is going on in the political theatre. If you want to count on this generation to make a difference, make it care first. Since the only thing that can do that is Angry Birds or cats, 7 second videos and 140 character messages, any campaign banking on the collegiate vote is dead in the water before it starts.
If you want to save the world, you have my full support, but not my belief in your ability to do so. Welcome to the realm of apathy – welcome to the life of a college student.
The bill is a great idea in theory. In practice it will never work. As soon as students are allowed into the world, the world corrupts them with Tweets and Status updates, minor changes will make no difference. This generation will see the death of the arts and the death of education.
On the bright side at least a small group of people care.
While people can preach at this generation for days on end about what they should do, if the students don’t want to listen or care they won’t.
No one cares.
Ad
This is the curse of our generation. Social media has taken away any interest we could have by eliminating the concept of “importance” of what needs to be known. To students at CSU “Becky just got a pizza” is on equal playing ground for care as “Oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico claims thousands of lives.”
To change the world, to save the world you have to have the support of people who care. The sad fact is that apathy has claimed the hearts of the future and we live in the end of the world.
So am I against the bill? No, but I don’t think it will work. There is too much pushing against the American education system, by the time a group actually realized that there needed to be a change it was too late to change course. Sure this bill is a great idea, but it is the same as trying to patch the titanic with Scotch tape after it hit the iceberg.
The damage has been done, all we can do is hope for the best.
Isaac Morley is a sophomore Business and English Education double major. He believes that trying to save the education system is a battle that needs to be fought, but the battle already ended. Follow him @Isaac_Morley – Feedback should be sent to Letters@collegian.com
Related articles
