This may surprise you, but not everyone on the Editorial Board is a Liberal Democrat — we also have Libertarians, Independents and a Republican.

If yesterday’s editorial gave you the impression we hold the GOP solely responsible for the nation’s woes, rest assured, we’re happy to spread the blame around.

We won’t always be talking about politics in this space, but at the same time, we can’t overstate the importance of the mid-term elections.

As a nation, we seem to be losing our grasp on accountability. In February 2009, 84 percent of Americans believed the president inherited the situation we’re in. With elections around the corner, that number has plummeted to 56 percent, while 32 percent point the finger at the administration.

Barack Obama found his way into office riding upon the hopes and dreams of people who were tired of the petty rhetoric, bad policy and partisan bickering that made much of the past decade. Once the recession was in full swing, its repercussions echoed through almost all facets of our daily lives. We watched as a veritable Superman faced the sobering realities that come from decades of bad policy and mismanagement. And seeing the wind taken out of his sails shook us all up a bit.

College students seem particularly indifferent when it comes to politics. We’ve all but accepted the demise of Social Security and Medicare, accepted military theater as the norm, and don’t consider the impact Washington has on our daily lives until it hits us in the pocketbook.

Worse, economic uncertainty and a hyper-partisan Congress have turned “Yes we can!” back into “We’re not sure!” and it’s precisely this sort of complacency that allowed our political system to devolve into the current spectacle.

If you’re dissatisfied with the direction our society is headed, know that your right to vote — and exercising that right — is the most important tool at your disposal.

Now is not the time for apathy. We don’t owe our votes to a particular ideology or congressman, we owe it to everyone around us. You’re obliged to research the candidates you have the privilege to elect, and voting along party lines or social issues does the process a great disservice.

There are those whose response to political discourse is “I don’t care,” and it’s this attitude that’s facilitating the politicking on Capitol Hill.

If a candidate says they’re going to balance the budget, it’s your job to find out how. It’s your job to research everything they say, and make the differentiation between rhetoric and realism. Don’t rely solely on track records: There is a difference between politicians changing stances based on factual evidence and the flip-flopping accusations of their opponents.

We may be the most coddled generation, but the luxuries we’re afforded by modern technology allow us to pull back the curtains of political theater. Voting records and video evidence are a mouse click away. If you’re willingly uninformed, you’re a part of the problem.

In a democracy, our politicians and their policies are a direct reflection of ourselves.

If you count yourself among the dissatisfied, and find yourself looking for a place to point fingers, find the nearest mirror.

The cause, and solution, will be staring you in the face.