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Friday,
February 27, 2004 |
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Voting
is not just for ‘Old People’
T-shirt
misses its intended message by a mile
With
the battle lines clearly drawn in this year’s presidential
election, we here at the Skiff think we’ll vote in
November.
That’s why we’re so outraged by a new vintage-style
T-shirt from Urban Outfitters that displays the phrase
“Voting is for Old People.”
You’d think a company that markets its clothing to
teenagers and young adults would embrace participation
in the political process. But apparently not.
And besides, it’s not as if only “old people”
vote. In the 2000 presidential election, nearly 18 million
people aged 18-30 voted, representing 16 percent of total
voters.
A larger number of younger voters could have made the
difference in 2000, and could also make the difference
come November.
Young people’s participation in politics should be
encouraged, not made to seem unhip and uncool by T-shirts
at Urban Outfitters.
Probably the most disturbing part is the reality that
there must be a market for such clothing. Some 16-year-olds
will decide the T-shirt is a fashionable, worthwhile addition
to their closets. That’s sad.
The designer of the shirt, 26-year-old Yale graduate John
Foster-Keddie, said the shirt was not meant to discourage
voting, but instead to emphasize the political apathy
of younger Americans.
According to Urban Outfitters, the shirt is meant to highlight
the growing gap between politicians’ platforms and
the concerns of young people.
Apparently, we missed the shirt’s underlying message.
Next time, if something is meant to encourage voting,
it should be more obvious than a shirt emblazoned with
the logo “Voting is for Old People.”
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