Why Voting is Crucial Median Ban is Mid

New measure has nothing to do with safety, everything to do with impression management

JACK SIERPUTOWSKI Mercury Staff

Dallas’ median ban is a thinly veiled attempt to criminalize poverty and pedestrianism, not a public safety measure.

The Dallas City Council approved an ordinance 14-1 on Oct. 26 to allow city marshals to issue citations up to $500 to people standing in roadways — which includes medians. Many city council members appealed to public safety, claiming that the goal of the ordinance is to protect pedestrians. But the best way to reduce pedestrian deaths is better urban design.

This ordinance only criminalizes panhandling and homelessness (indirectly) and makes streets even less friendly to pedes- trians in a city that is already aggressively car dependent.

While I am not surprised that only one member of the city council voted against the ordinance, I am deeply disappointed. I am even more frustrated by the nonsensical reasons given for their support.

"I think it’s justified on public safety grounds," Councilman Paul Ridley said supporting the ordinance.

It is true that in 2021, Dallas was the second worst city in the nation for traffic deaths, more than a third of which were pedestrian deaths. But I hardly need to explain that to UTD students. If you have

Participation of young voters is more important now than ever, despite the fatalism expressed by many.

There is a common narrative that floats around the leftist side of Twitter and is repeated by young people in general: that “voting is pointless.” The reasons people provide for disenfranchising themselves are numerous, ranging from the reductive “both parties are bad” to the simply false “it won’t make a difference anyway.” Both are harmful, infectious narratives that distract us from reality. Luckily, despite these counterproductive narratives, young people showed up to the midterms in record numbers and made a difference.

Those on the left who choose not to vote generally emphasize the idea that both parties are corrupt. The Democrats are not far enough left for them, and I suppose that is true. The Overton window of our country has become skewed enough to where the “progressive” party — Democrats — are mostly centrists. But a lack of representation of truly progressive policies doesn’t mean young people should just give up altogether.

Yes, it is true that the Democrats are not much better than the Republicans. The U.S.’ absurd wealth gap has been on the rise since the 80s, thanks in part to the fact that regardless of the image they project, the Democratic party generally capitulates to corporations. Young people like to claim that “politicians are all bought,” and while I dislike overly reductive statements, I can see where they get this sentiment in our current political system. But that doesn’t mean that choosing not to vote makes you morally superior. Democrats may capitulate to regressive politics, but Republicans actively advocate them.

There are many arguments I could make for why the Republican party should be kept out of office, but I think the most powerful is that it repeatedly and aggressively seeks to dismantle protections for ba-

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sic human rights. This includes threats to drastically cut Medicare and Social Security and efforts to disenfranchise minorities, push queer people back into invisibility, and humiliate and persecute trans people in every aspect of their lives.

You may have very emotional reactions to any of the issues I just mentioned. Maybe you are in favor of more conservative policy choices, and I am not here to worsen polarization. Regardless of your specific political affiliation, there is one key reason you should fear the Republican party: their current goal is to undermine the very values that make democracy possible. Never before has election denialism so widely infiltrated political discourse. Never before has the U.S. faced a serious threat to the peaceful transition of power. Terrifyingly, an Associate Press review found that nearly one-third of Republican candidates for statewide offices connected to overseeing

Did you vote in the midterm election?

“I did vote. I still have a lot going on in my community and I really wanted to take part in my community. There’s a lot of things going on, especially with the shooting stuff and then abortion laws which are kind of messed up. I kinda wanted my voice to be heard.”

- Taylor Gee, Junior, Healthcare Studies

“I did not, unfortunately. It’s because I’m registered in Austin and I wasn’t able to go back home. But I would’ve voted if I was registered here. I realized a little too late.”

- Asti Raamann, Senior, Healthcare Studies

“I did [vote] because I think it’s important to vote, to be involved, make your voice heard. Not voting doesn’t give you any advantages.”

- Liz Wigglesworth, Senior,

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