Brian Stillman’s column “Not voting — that’s my solution” is a logical train wreck. To assert that not voting sends a message to candidates that will then cause them to recognize and advance the agenda (if there is one) of the same non-voters is foolish and na‹ve.

If you propose never to participate in the political process, you write yourself out of the picture.

Mr. Stillman’s doleful moaning about not being heard and the candidates’ failure to care about the average person outside of Washington, D.C., is tripe. If he and his generation do not believe this election will make a difference to the “common” man and woman and that they can make a difference they need to wake up. The “nothing ever changes in D.C.” mentality is just an easy out for the lazy and ignorant who do not take their citizenship seriously.

Seniors and the wealthy vote regularly. They are heard and the candidates deliver what they want. If the 18- to 24-year-olds would make their voices heard, they too would have an impact.

Who do you think is going to pay for increased Social Security and Medicare benefits both candidates have been promising seniors?

Decisions will be made in Washington over the next four years about economics, taxes, crime, guns, Social Security, Medicare, entitlement policy, roads, transportation and privacy.

If you don’t care if your student loan and mortgage interest payments are high or low, ignore the election. If you don’t care if there is handgun proliferation, don’t vote. If you don’t care how much you are taxed, stay home on election day.

For me, the choice is clear. Bush’s benefit-the-rich tax cut is foolishness. His economic policies will wreck the progress toward paying down the national debt.

His nominees to the Supreme Court will surely ship authority to the states. Bush will let the gun lobby have its way. I know my vote counts because Gore will continue the economic policies that have worked well.

Come to think of it, if you disagree with me, stay home on Election Day, Mr. Stillman.ÿ

Franklin J. FeilmeyerResidentAmes