Over the course of the last 10 years there has been a dramatic shift in young people towards more political involvement and activism. After the election of President Donald Trump and a massive increase in mass shootings, many young people have either pre-registered to vote or are planning to vote in the next election.
Controversial issues such as DACA, the Second Amendment, separations of immigrant families, abortion, and the travel ban have emerged as issues that the GOP have not been able to convince other political parties, nor US citizens to all agree on. These controversial topics have sparked motivation for America’s youth to hit the polls or pre-register to vote in the next 2020 election or the upcoming midterms.
The amount of teens pre-registering to vote has increased dramatically in the past three years. According to the Los Angeles Times, over 90,000 citizens and residents have pre-registered to vote since September 2016, and the numbers continue to increase. California Governor Jerry Brown, has also passed a law that pre-registers anyone when they receive their driver’s license or a state identification card. This law will come into effect until early 2019.
Students at C.K. McClatchy have been very vocal in the past year in addressing a number of controversial issues. Walkouts in protest of gun violence and the mishandling and failure to address sexual assault by the school’s administration are primary examples of student’s political involvement. There’s no doubt that many students at C.K. McClatchy will continue to use their voice in order to speak out about the lack of government action against serious issues such as these in the future.
Annabella Kliman (‘20), said, “Yes, of course I’ll vote. My eighth grade teacher constantly emphasized the importance of voting. It’s the only real life situation where you are guaranteed the ability to make a difference. When I was younger I always mentioned how I’ll get to vote in a presidential election the year I turn 18. With all of the political chaos happening right now, knowing that I’ll be able to vote so soon makes me more comfortable knowing that things can change soon, and that I’ll have a voice this time.”
Katia Kasower (‘20), said,“I feel that it is very important to vote, hence why it is a right and privilege that Americans have. As Americans, we should take advantage of this freedom and let our opinions be known. Voters are important aspects of shaping the government. The country’s future is in voters’ hands. I think pre-registering is a good idea because young people should be interested in our government and how and who it’s being run by.”
The best thing citizens of this country can do in order to produce change, even if they believe their vote will not make a difference, is to vote. I think many people are under the false perception that whether or not they vote doesn’t change anything, but in reality it makes all the difference. By having more people vote, especially minorities within this country, people will have more control over what occurs within their communities and cities. Campaigns such as the Vota campaign have succeeded in spreading awareness toward youth within the Latinx community about the importance of voting and civic participation in order to bring change within their community.
Overall, when something bothers us that is occuring within our country, whether it be by the government or by our own school. We should not be afraid to be more vocal about it nor feel as if our vote will not make a difference.