WELCOME
...about the movement...
So long as we have enough people in this country willing to fight for their rights, we'll be called a democracy. -Roger Nash Baldwin, founder ACLU
The Atrophy Annie Project is art made to inspire change and discussion. Art, and its influence, can only be the spark towards change. It takes men and women, with their arms raised, to carry flaming torches and bring a wave of light. So, it is with the spark of the Atrophy Annie Project that we hope to fuel a fire that will become the Don’t Atrophy Movement.
The only way to have your voice heard is to speak out and speak up. The Don’t Atrophy Movement strives to encourage and inspire individuals to stand up and get involved. Our goal is to promote political literacy and discussion. We don’t want to tell you what to think, we just want you to think!
In 2004, during the last presidential election just over 55 percent of the voting-age population turned out on Election Day. Over 44 percent of Americans who could vote, did not. If voting was a national school assignment, the United States would receive an 'F'. Part of the problem is the apathetic unwillingness of younger voters to go out and register in their district. Ignorance and laziness are not excuses. Political candidates tailor their campaigns on the issues that will attract the most voters. The young vote is marginalized largely due to the fact that voters aged 18-30 years old have a low turnout. If your age group doesn’t have a large effect, positive or negative, don’t expect political candidates to pay attention to your issues. On this site you’ll find links that will help you register to vote in any of the 50 states. Much of the registration process has gone digital and thus is more accessible to younger voters! If you hope to institute change or stability your best weapon is to vote.
So, you’ve registered and are ready to vote…but for whom? Chances are you won’t find a single candidate that you agree with on every issue. It may help to first become more aware of the political parties. Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, or Independent find out which party most associates with your values and beliefs. To find this info you can click on our Party section.
For most people, when choosing a candidate, it comes down to economic and social issues. Within economics and society you can then discover if you’re conservative or liberal within each category. To help you make a more informed decision we’ve broken down the major candidates and their stance on key issues. Click on our Candidate section to find out.
Being informed is only the first step. The most important role of a voter is to stay informed. Opinions, ideas, and events all change the shape of the political landscape. Information can only strengthen your understanding by either emboldening your position by exposing contradicting ideas or by enlightening you to the weakness of your own. As one stalwart independent is fond of saying:
Turn on to politics or politics will turn on you. -Ralph Nader, presidential candidate
The links section contains a list of conservative and liberal blogs as well as major news websites. Keep yourself educated by keeping up with politics. Freedom and Democracy aren’t rights; they’re privileges. If we fail to take full advantage of the civil rights and liberties we’ve been afforded, we weaken our greatest strengths. If you’re not active in exercising democracy, then you’re withering it away. Join the movement and make sure you have a say in our future.