During the first constitutional conventions of 1787, delegates worried if people were educated enough to vote.

This was a valid concern, as the Founding Fathers feared uneducated voters hurting the stability of a country. No one wants the country to rest in the hands of a fool.

The president can make this country strong, or push it into a downward collapse – wait, that already happened.

To avoid further calamities, perhaps everyone should start asking: “Shouldn’t people be educated before casting their vote?”

Stephen Colbert recently said something interesting on his show.

“If you are old enough to vote, you are old enough not to,” Colbert said.

Although this idea comes from a comedic program, it did raise an interesting point. It seems the quantity of people who vote is more important to the media and society, rather than the quality. Should people ascribe to the moral that whoever can vote should, despite not being educated about the election?

“I know a lot of people who are uneducated on the candidates and everything,” said freshman psychology major Jasmine Willett,. “It’s wrong because when you’re voting you are basically playing with someone’s life. If you’re uneducated you’re affecting the economy and you’re not sure what’s going on, you’re just voting just to vote and that has a negative impact.”

Tommy Oates, freshman electrical engineering major, agrees and said he is annoyed by people who vote just to vote.

“[Politics] just doesn’t make sense to me,” said freshman accounting major Martha Seisser. “It’s confusing and makes me mad sometimes.”

Seisser also says she is a democrat because her parents are.

What factors sway peoples votes? Some people vote for a republican or democratic party because their family does. Some people vote solely on one issue. Some people pay attention to ridiculous television ads bashing the other candidate, and some people simply vote without a clue because of outside pressure.

Are the reasons above good reasons for people to choose who they vote for?

No, is the answer.

With today’s economic crisis, now more than ever we need someone who can make a miracle happen. Voters, look past both parties’ “Change” campaigns and childlike political ads. Look at the issues.

Gabriell Pigrams, sophomore business management major, said education, health, war, violence and the economy are the issues she worries about.

The right to vote is a beautiful freedom Americans should not take for granted. Every vote directly affects another American. Put time, thought and research into the candidate you choose.