POWER AND RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MEDIA

THE last three national elections have had a voter turnout of around 50
percent. Assuming a close vote, the winner represents well less than
half of the population. That is hardly enough to claim a mandate to any
degree. Why is it, then, that Republicans and Democrats have such
ability to define the concerns of today and tomorrow?

Where is the discussion about the effects of globalization on our wages
and upon Third World countries, the waste of money in the war on drugs,
the growing gap between the rich and the poor in the United States, the
forgiveness of Third World debt and the disproportionate incarceration
of people of color across America? Why is there no substantive
discussion about the ability of corporations to strongly influence
governmental policies? Many of these issues are important to the 50
percent of the population who do not vote. Why vote if the issues you
are concerned about are not included in relevant discussion?

The news media have the power and the responsibility to raise the
level of discussion and broaden the menu of issues and therefore,
interest in the election process. The Mercury News should publish
commentaries by people like Noam Chomsky and others who have a
different political perspective. The Mercury News should push for
inclusion of Ralph Nader and others in the debate, and it should be a
forum of discussion that includes the widest possible range of
opinions.