“The midterm elections are extremely important. The low voter turnout is embarrassing. Everyone should be registered to vote.” “I would get more involved, but I have too much stuff going on. My vote doesn’t really count. I’m sick of politics. I don’t have enough time to canvas.”

This administration has uncovered many broken aspects of the U.S. government. It has also uncovered a very serious flaw in its citizenship — a strong desire for attention by calling for action, but not desiring to take part in the actions themselves.

That would require more than writing a few sentences on Twitter from the comfort of your smart phone or the occasional impassioned post on Facebook decrying the complacency of the eligible voting population while also saying you don’t want to canvas your community because you don’t have enough time, or because that would require walking.

You can send a 280-character rallying cry to your followers, but you can’t ask your neighbor if they are registered to vote, or if they would like to sign up for an advanced ballot.

You can ‘like’ a post by James Thompson or Ron Estes, but you are much too busy to volunteer and actually support their campaigns. You can denounce the faceless masses you say aren’t registered to vote, but you would never dare ask them if they would like to register. That would require adding a name, a face, a voice, an opinion, and maybe the smallest bit of confidence.

This is not a critique of the Sunflower. This is not a rallying cry. This is a wakeup call. The people who should be ashamed of themselves are you — the Twitter warrior, the knight of Facebook, you who wields the keyboard yet cowers from the shadow of humanity.

Stone up. Take part. Make the difference you electronically cry out for, or shut your mouth and stay in the corner while real people make a real effort in their community to attempt real change.

Erik Cortez, communication student