Dear Voters: In 2008 we will elect a new president. Of course, we all hope that every citizen will participate fully in our democracy. That each will be attentive and perceptive and thoughtful in determining how to cast this vote. Unfortunately, anyone who has paid even dim attention to the media knows that there is a disturbing preoccupation with everything but the true qualifications, character and specific proposals of the various candidates.

While most adults have graduated from high school, not everyone has learned the basics of how our democratic system works, let alone acquired the attitudes or skills of a true citizen. With tongue slightly in cheek: If you fit into any of these 10 categories, either spend some time accepting the full responsibility of citizenship, or please consider doing something else on Election Day in 2008.

1. If you are mesmerized by the quality or tone of a candidate's voice, their personal mannerisms or their physical attractiveness, please schedule your cosmetic surgery on Election Day rather than spending your time voting.

2. If you are influenced by the clothing of candidates, please go shopping instead. You may be more interested in fashion or the opinions of consultants than you are of the qualities needed for a potential president.

3. If your opinion for or against candidates is based primarily on their ethnic background, gender or religion, please consider spending some time in Afghanistan or Iraq or Iran — you'll find out what these prejudices lead to in a society.

4. If your opinions of presidential candidates are greatly influenced by one-line answers to overly simplistic questions in the "debates," please stay home on Election Day and play with your childhood toys. You are obviously not ready to play the role of an adult, thoughtful citizen.

5. If you have never read any detailed (and boring) position papers by a candidate (on the Web or otherwise) please go to the movies on Election Day instead. If candidates only entertain you with one-liners, they aren't qualified to be president, and you are hardly in a position to cast a knowledgeable vote. Most candidates do provide more extensive and specific positions on key issues. For example, Hillary Clinton has a seven-point health-reform plan. Barack Obama has a three-pronged approach detailed on 15 pages. Ever read these or others?

6. If your opinion of a presidential candidate is influenced by radio talk shows or the personal commentary of so-called "reporters" on cable TV who mostly report their own views, please plan to watch cartoons instead of voting. If you were assigned a research paper in a college political science class, what kind of grade do you think you'd get if your "source" was Rush Limbaugh, Lou Dobbs or Bill O'Reilly?

7. If you determine your vote by the quality and quantity of political advertisements on behalf of a candidate, please spend your day investing in swamp land. Sheep are useful for their wool, but not as a role model for how to be easily manipulated.

8. If you believe a president can single-handedly reform healthcare, achieve world peace and improve public education, please visit a country with an absolute dictator who doesn't need to talk to anyone. In the U.S., it gets really complicated with those three branches of government, whatever they are. (Or does Dick Cheney make that four branches?)

9. If you have no interest in public affairs, never read newspapers and cannot name your state legislators, your members of Congress and at least a handfull of Supreme Court justices, please write a letter of protest to your former high school principal and social studies teachers, because they have failed to prepare you for citizenship.

10. If you are an elected official and have not promoted funding and expansion of civic education, go golfing and consider resigning. The ignorance of young Americans of our governmental system is appalling. Do public schools have a responsibility for this? Of course.

Do you have a responsibility for citizenship education? Duh!

Jim Shon is a former legislator. He wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.