This week, the Hustler has editorialized on civic duty and youth voting. On Monday, the editorial praised Vanderbilt for recognizing Constitution Day and the importance of civic and history education. On Wednesday, the editorial criticized "get out the vote" operations like Vanderbilt's chapter of SAVE and Rock the Vote for conflating the priorities of voter registration and voter education for the purpose of increasing voter turnout. The Hustler received several responses to this editorial.

Informed voting is foundational to our political system. Citizens must have a working knowledge of the issues that concern them in order to make an informed, educated and worthwhile decision. The wealth of information about candidates, positions and issues can be overwhelming, to be sure. Nevertheless, it is the responsibility of individuals to educate themselves as much as possible.

This is not an easy task. Vanderbilt students especially know how time-consuming school, work and social lives can be. Those groups, like College Democrats and Republicans, Election Alliance and SAVE, should be commended for trying to inject politics into the full and vibrant discussion at the university. Still, voters of every age and walk of life cannot possibly know everything there is to know about the issues and candidates. It is up to you, the voter, to determine what is important to you.

There is a critical caveat to sifting through all of the electoral information. Beware of groups or individuals who are eager to have you register. Students should never allow others to tell them what issues are important to them.

Too often, advocacy groups that stealthily claim to be nonpartisan target potential voters with registration forms and promise to educate those voters on "the issues that affect them." SAVE, for instance, claims to be nonpartisan, with Democrats and Republicans serving on its national board. Still, the organization is teamed up with environmentalist groups like the Earth Day Network and the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund.

Perhaps many of the people involved with SAVE believe the environment and other specific issues are important for young voters, but only the individual voter can determine what issues are important for him or her.

Students at Vanderbilt, like those around the country, should always be vigilant in the quest for knowledge. A more informed voting population must accompany higher voter turnout, and Vanderbilt does well to encourage its students to learn more about the foundations upon which our civil society is built.