How many times have you heard someone say, “I don’t really follow politics”? If you’re like me, you’ve heard it a lot. Teenagers, most of them, seem to think that they shouldn’t be concerned with politics because they can’t vote, or because they don’t think they can make a difference.
Well, here’s the thing: politics matters. It may seem as though it’s just a bunch of old white men arguing with each other, but there’s actually quite a bit more to it than that.
Politics affects your life. It affects your parents. For example, how much money they pay in taxes translates to how much money you have. Politicians decide how our schools are funded, which is why we can have a football team or an arts program. Politicians make laws about what we can and cannot do.
Drug legalization and gay marriage are two major issues in the United States at the moment. Do you think you should be able to use drugs if you want to, or that no one should? Do you think that you should be able to marry whomever you want, or do you think that gay marriage is a sin? Either way, you probably have an opinion. Wouldn’t it be amazing to influence the laws the country has about those issues?
The presidential election is happening right now, but a lot of people aren’t paying attention. Why not? This is a part of history. The nation is choosing who will lead us for the next four years, during which time you will have graduated from high school and will have a job or be in college. You will be an adult living with the choices that the country made, that your parents and the people in your community made. You can’t vote, but that doesn’t mean you can’t influence things.
Start with your parents. If they don’t care about the issues, try to educate them. If you disagree with them, have a debate. They might end up learning something and changing their position.
Get involved! You don’t have to attend political rallies or donate to campaigns. All you have to do is learn about the issues and then talk about them with whoever will listen. You might be able to change somebody’s mind by telling them the facts about an issue, and by doing that,x you’re influencing the vote.
I don’t want to convince you to support a particular candidate or issue, but if you’re one of the people who says, “I don’t care,” think twice about it. It’s important that you know what’s happening in our country and our world because, ultimately, it’s your country and your world. You can shape that future now or wait for others to do it for you.
–By Frances Beroset