The upcoming election is not about the “lesser of two evils.” Americans know that they share partial culpability for the actions of the leader they elect, and they know further that if they choose not to vote then they have no right to complain.

With that in mind, many find it increasingly unacceptable to vote for Al Gore, and with many compelling reasons. People who can’t see denying civil marriage rights to gays, upholding deadly sanctions against Iraq that have killed more than 500,000 innocent families in children or increasing the number and importance of racially biased tests (and thereby undoing affirmative action and increasing racism), find Gore excessively conservative. So what do these voters do?

The clear answer is to vote for Nader. Many disheartened liberals believe Nader will split leftist votes; however, this is not entirely the case. Northwestern students have no fear of causing Bush’s presidency for two reasons. First, Illinois has voted for the winner in every election in the past century except for two. In all probability, your vote will not affect the outcome. Second, even if the vote is close, it remains incredibly unlikely that the few students who support Nader will tilt the election.

Although it won’t directly affect the outcome of the election, your vote will affect politics as a whole. A vote for Gore entrenches the conservative bent of modern Democrats who have moved right knowing that they will still win liberal votes. Only a vote for Nader will express dissent to this movement. You see, barring violence, the only way for powerful parties to get rid of troublesome third parties is to subsume their beliefs. This is how the socialists and labor unions dealt with the communists, Prussians , the German nationalists, the Democrats, the Populists and so on. In each case, the party removes dissent by incorporating third party beliefs into the existing power structure. Therefore, by supporting Nader, we send a strong message to the liberal community.

Although Nader won’t get elected, the policies he stands for will diffuse into the liberal community, resulting in a change in the Democratic platform in all arenas. This will mean a more compassionate Congress, as well as more progressive state governments. Moreover, the fact that Nader is too far left for more moderate Americans is misleading, because Democrats inevitably will slightly alter his policies to make them more popular as well as more suited to their own goals. The result is progressive social policies that are acceptable to Americans. Considering this, those liberals who are disillusioned with Gore but still find Nader a bit extreme will do well to go with Nader.

If you like Gore’s policies, by all means vote for him. I am attempting only to show that there is another choice for those who can’t see assenting to Gore’s presidency. A vote for Nader is not a vote for Bush.

A vote for Nader is a chance to make your voice heard.