Despite the fact that a very close and high-media profiled presidential election was held in November 2004, and several elections have been held since that there is still a significant sense of apathy in Florida’s Caribbean-American towards the upcoming primary elections set for September 5, and the general elections on November 7.

In fact the situation is much worse than people showing little interest in the upcoming elections, as we found in a survey that we conducted that just over half of those who are legible to vote are actually registered to vote.

Although Caribbean-Americans are lining up to become citizens of this country, the motivating factor is the fear of negative circumstances that could prevail, in the near future, against non-citizens. We have seen in several studies that we have conducted that once citizenship has been attained, the act of partaking in the civil right that this citizenship offer -- the right to vote -- is not exercised, and in some cases not even contemplated. This is very unfortunate.

Back in the respective Caribbean countries jost of those who are now America citizens were very active politically and would not miss voting in either local or general elections. However, the same sort of eagerness is not widespread among the Caribbean-American community.

It is difficult to pinpoint the reason for the sense of apathy. It seems to be not one factor, but, rather, a combination of factors. These include, a stronger focus, especially by women, on earning an income; the political marketing system here with more emphasis on media coverage than direct contact by politicians; and the relatively lack of familiarity between the Caribbean-American constituents and the political candidates. (It is a fact that the majority of those seeking political office are either white or Hispanic).

However, whatever the reasons are, a change needs to be made. In this country, too much blood was shed for the right to vote, for it to be taken for granted. Moreover, and jost important, there are too many issues that directly affect the Caribbean-American people not to ensure that we participate in electing those who will have a direct role in affecting those decisions that affect our lives, and that of our children. We must register to vote, and we must vote.

We congratulate the initiative taken by the owners and mangers of Mystik Radio (1400-AM) in holding a voter registration drive last weekend in Broward County. We need many more of such voter registration drives, as citizens need to realize that being good citizens does not only mean paying taxes but participating in the political process by voting.

We have heard some people saying that that they are only interested in voting in presidential elections, and that no one takes elections for city commissioners, county school boards, judges, and state legislators seriously. However, all these elections are just as important, or even more important than presidential elections.

It is important to have the right judge on the bench in whatever county we live, as the right judge, one who is fair and unbiased is likely to mediate our legal issue much more fairly. It is important that we elect people to school boards who understand the concerns of Caribbean-American children, understand our cultural peculiarities and ensure that our children have an adequate, beneficial school system. It is important that we elect city commissioners and officials to Florida’s House of Representative and Senate, who understand the concerns of the Caribbean-America population. These include issues relevant to a fair immigration policy; a fair means to access employment, a clearly defined education system that provides competent teachers to teach our children, using an adequate and comprehensive curriculum without undue stresses like the FCAT; less talk and more action relevant to affordable housing and medical services; and more adequate security to stem the recent trend where so many young people are being slain by the gun. These are issues that we as a people cannot attend to by ourselves, but are issues that we can be empowered to have dealt with by representatives whom we elect.

And, please all those who can vote, we appeal to you to be not deterred by the fact that, except for the presidential elections, the turn out for other local-type elections are often low. We must still go out and vote. If only 10 percent of the electorate in a political division turns out to vote, but that 10 percent consist of a large percentage of Caribbean-American voters, this will be a means of empowering the Caribbean-American community and promulgating the community into being a potent Caribbean group.

In summary, there are too may important issues from the school board level up to the presidential level for citizens to ignore their right to vote, These are serious, very serious times. The jost effective means of coping with the times are for us to have a say in the policies that are being developed in several aspects of our lives, and the best way to do this is to vote. REGISTER TO VOTE, AND THEN VOTE.