[Seattle-editorial] Feature proposal: Seattle a Leader in National Mandate of Apathy and Distrust

[Brandon Faloona]

feedback requested :)

i could not find any photos i thought would work for this.
brandon
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subtitle: SEVENTY PERCENT OF SEATTLE VOTERS STAY HOME
title: Seattle a Leader in National Mandate of Apathy and Distrust

Seventy percent, a staggering three hundred thousand, of Seattle
registered voters did not cast a ballot in last Tuesday's general
election.  Statewide non-participation was not as prominent but tallied a
solid fifty-five percent.  Non-voters hold a clear national majority when
you consider the significant numbers who, although eligible, choose not to
register. Tuesday's election turnout was reported to be
<a href= http://tompaine.com/feature.cfm/ID/6700>the lowest ever</a> among
the world's established democracies.
<p>
The corporate media, however,
<a
href="http://www.bayarea.com/mld/bayarea/news/politics/4455549.htm">reported
a "slight rise"</a>
 in turnout nationally, and scrambled to fill airtime without volumes of
VNS exit poll data to over-analyze.
<p>
Democracy is about <a
href="http://commondreams.org/views02/1106-07.htm">"government that draws
its power and legitimacy from its citizens,"</a> making it nearly
impossible to position present day America as the world's leading
democracy. With big money running America's two-party political machine,
the public's trust in government continues to erode. The day after
soft-money became effectively illegal in federal campaigns, leaders of
both major parties were <a
href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19207-2002Nov6.html">reported
to agree</a> on specific ways to legally circumvent the spirit of the law.

<p>
<a href="http://indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=214895">To Vote or Not
to Vote?</a>
<p>
<b>Indymedia Election Coverage:</b>
<a
href="http://portland.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=32028">Portland</a>
-
<a href="http://www.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=215225">direct
action</a> |
<a href="http://twincities.indymedia.org:8081/index.php3">Twin Cities</a> |
<a href="http://stlouis.indymedia.org/">St. Louis</a> |
<a href="http://la.indymedia.org/">Los Angeles</a> |
<a href="http://houston.indymedia.org/">Houston</a> -
<a href="http://houston.indymedia.org/news/2002/11/5265.php">post election
poll</a> |
<a
href="http://twincities.indymedia.org/archive/features/2002/11/2002-11.html#5817">Minnesota</a>
|
<a href="http://maine.indymedia.org/display.php3?article_id=2709">Maine</a>
<p>
<a href="http://www.fairvote.org">Center for Voting and Democracy:</a> <a
href="http://www.fairvote.org/e_news/election2002.htm">The 2002 Elections
and the Case for Reform</a> |
<a href="http://www.seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=19814">Why
Don't We Vote</a>
<p>
<b>Election Reports / Irregularities:</b>
<a href=" http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=19496">1</a> |
<a href="
http://www.seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=19716">2</a> |
<a href="
http://www.seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=19725">3</a> |
<a href=" http://indyhawaii.org/news/2002/11/96.php">4</a> |
<a href="http://nyc.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=38027">5</a> |
<a href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=19704">6</a> |
<a
href="http://twincities.indymedia.org:8081/front.php3?article_id=8124">7</a>
|
<a href="http://nyc.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=38047">8</a> |
<a href="http://www.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=215225">9</a> |

<p>
<b>Discussion:</b> <a
href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=19708">1</a> |
<a href="http://twincities.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=8205">2</a> |
<a href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=19686">3</a> |
<a href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=19592">4</a> |
<a href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=19548">5</a> |
<a href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=19543">6</a> |
<a href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=19509">7</a> |
<a href="http://seattle.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=19116">8</a> |
<a href="http://la.indymedia.org/news/2002/11/21906.php">9</a> |
<a href="http://utah.indymedia.org/news/2002/11/3209.php">10</a> |
<a href="http://austin.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=4129">11</a> |
<a href="http://austin.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=4129">12</a> |
<a
href="http://twincities.indymedia.org:8081/front.php3?article_id=8165">13</a>
|
<a
href="http://twincities.indymedia.org:8081/front.php3?article_id=8140">14</a>
|
<a
href="http://twincities.indymedia.org:8081/front.php3?article_id=8143">15</a>
|
<a href="http://portland.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=31733">16</a>