I just turned 18 years old and the issue of voting has been pressed upon me. I am not feeling pressured to vote because everybody I’ve talk to about it is under 18 years old and can’t vote, and my parents are busy living their own lives – so voting isn’t something that’s a big issue in my life right now.

I’m not even sure if I am registered. I haven’t heard any of the speeches from either presidential candidate. All I know is that Barack Obama is running against Hillary Clinton. It is suppose to be a big deal that Hillary is a woman and Barack is a black man. In the end, does it really matter that he’s black and she’s a she? I don’t think so. In my opinion a lot of people are voting on the issue of race and gender than having it be based on who can run the country better.

I can’t say I am even voting at this standpoint for legal purposes, but I can say that I was listening to Street Soldiers on the radio the other night and the topic was Super Tuesday and who people were voting for. Some people were voting for Clinton and some people were voting for Obama. One gentleman got on the air and was saying a lot of stuff about how he is voting for Obama. He said he wouldn’t vote for Hillary because ladies always make decisions based on their emotions. The lady that hosts the show got a little angry and the DJ played the sound of a siren. It was hilarious. I love hearing stuff like that. What that guy said can’t be true, because I always find it hard not to cry after the movie Sleepless Seattle.

I am in the dark with this whole election thing. I haven’t heard any of them say anything. That is partly my fault for not paying enough attention to the news. I get bored really easily. I can’t even stand commercials. I turn to an all day music video channel when the commercials start.

I hear a lot of different stuff about the elections from different people – mostly comedians. They all say we need a black man as president. I’ve also heard that Hillary ran the country when her husband Bill was in office. I don’t know what to believe. I will probably support whoever my parents go for because I am such a follower.

I think I am just really new to this and it never really mattered to me. So, I am going to do as much research as I can tonight and see if it is okay for me to vote on Super Tuesday.
—Chris Vargas