Tuesday, March 23, 2004
When Life Is More Important Than Voting For Homecoming Queen
Last month there was considerable uproar over the Urban Outfitters t-shirt that proudly displays "Voting is for Old People." I actually didn't hear about this disgusting (and mediocre) attempt at irony until rather late. Since the nearest Urban Outfitters is several hundred miles from my home, it wasn't exactly a priority for me. Yet needless to say, I too was outraged. It is infuriating to me on so many levels, but particularly because as a government and civics teacher who actively tries to get young people to vote, not to mention as an avid follower of politics, such a statement, no matter how "playful," goes against everything that I believe in.
Last weekend I once again had the opportunity to participate as an advisor for Michigan Youth In Government. Youth In Government is a YMCA program (though generally run through schools) engaging high school students in a mock legislative process. This was my sixth year with the program, and it gets better every time. Students research and write legislative bills, then go to the Michigan Capitol to debate and pass these potential laws using parliamentary procedure. The students come from all walks of life and have all kinds of beliefs, but one thing is certain: these kids don't think that voting is for "old people." It is simply amazing to walk into that historic building and see 14-18 year old kids arguing out legislation, sitting in the actual seats that our elected representatives do. All because they are hoping to make a difference in their world.
The experience can best be summed up by the story of a state representative who was in the Capitol building while Youth In Government was in session. He stopped for a moment on the House floor and listened to a rather heated debate between a student from inner city Detroit and a student from small farming community. The representative looked at a nearby advisor and said, "This is wonderful! They are really amazing! Where did they get the script?" The advisor looked blankly at the representative and said, "There is no script. This is real." The representative couldn't believe that not only were such passionate words being debated, but also that the quality of those words was so high as to surpass even the most seasoned of public speakers. In topics ranging from gay marriage (a bill they passed) to the death penalty (which they defeated) to rumble strips on the roadways (passed) to requiring a world religions class as a requirement for a state certified diploma (which not only passed but won "best bill"), these kids put democracy in action, and in the process, most of the rest of us to shame.
Many experts claim (rightfully) that the transient nature of 18-24 year olds prevents them from voting, but that can't be the whole truth. How can it be? When only 36.1% of 18-24 year olds vote, it cannot possibly only be because they are away at college, or the military, or off working. Even if the law is sometimes against them (as it is here in Michigan, where your voting address has to be the same as what is on your driver's license – a good idea except it in effect discourages young people who are away from home from voting) there have to be other reasons as to why there are not a greater number of young voters coming to the polls.
Perhaps what we "old people" are really afraid of is that young voters might stop feeling disillusioned, or convinced one vote couldn't make a difference, and instead actually get involved in the political process. It is a hard conclusion to come to, but in an election year, it is a harsh reality. If an eighteen year old votes, it has the same power as a sixty-five year old that votes. And the same power as a thirty-two year old that votes. Whether you are a soccer mom, a NASCAR dad, a member of the AARP or voting for the very first time, each vote is counted exactly the same (hanging and dimpled chads aside, of course). Traditionally, 18-24 year olds don't vote in great numbers and therefore aren't considered by many candidates to be a group worth courting. Hence, issues important to young voters aren't spoken about on the campaign trail, and so young voters become disillusioned with their candidates who don't (or won't) deal with their issues. So they don't vote. And the cycle begins anew.
John Foster-Keddie, the 26 year old (of the 50.5% voting 25-34 year old demographic) designer of the infamous Urban Outfitters shirt claims, "This shirt's real intention is to sum up the current state of political affairs, pointing a finger at all of us who've been so apathetic in the past." But that is a platitude. It is a tired expression of insincerity and a poor example of irony. Oh, and it's wrong as evidenced by youth voter turnout in the 1960 and 1992 presidential elections. As someone who is close in age to that demographic that is so lacking in voter participation, Mr. Foster-Keddie should know better.
Mr. Foster-Keddie's words discourage voter participation in young people. And that is exactly what mainstream America wants. They don't want young people to vote because it might mean taking the conversation away from those who do. It might mean having to face serious issues that young people care about. It might mean looking at social security from the standpoint of someone who is going to need it fifty years from now rather than five years from now. It might mean having to have a conversation about foreign policy that exists in shades of gray, not Cold War black and white. It might mean having to talk about the environment and renewable energy and the potential trillions of dollars of economic growth that goes with it, rather than only oil, coal and the short term fixes whose problems won't appear until the older voter is dead. And yes, it might mean looking at gay marriage, the death penalty and even rumble strips on America's roadways. Issues that are important to America's youth. But we don't want that. We are afraid that there is some sort of finite amount of political conversation in this country and if we deviate from that even slightly then what we want to talk about will somehow be lost forever. So we manipulate what is cool and hip to serve a broader political purpose. We should be ashamed.
As I reflect on the discussions and ideas those high school kids threw around the Michigan Capitol, I am reminded that young people have ideas and a passion for making the world a better place. I am reminded that young people will work with the system to affect the change they want. I am reminded that there are quite a few young people out there who do think that voting makes a difference, regardless of their age, and will fight to assure their voice is heard. To me, there's hope in these reminders, and for that, I am thankful.
Last month there was considerable uproar over the Urban Outfitters t-shirt that proudly displays "Voting is for Old People." I actually didn't hear about this disgusting (and mediocre) attempt at irony until rather late. Since the nearest Urban Outfitters is several hundred miles from my home, it wasn't exactly a priority for me. Yet needless to say, I too was outraged. It is infuriating to me on so many levels, but particularly because as a government and civics teacher who actively tries to get young people to vote, not to mention as an avid follower of politics, such a statement, no matter how "playful," goes against everything that I believe in.
Last weekend I once again had the opportunity to participate as an advisor for Michigan Youth In Government. Youth In Government is a YMCA program (though generally run through schools) engaging high school students in a mock legislative process. This was my sixth year with the program, and it gets better every time. Students research and write legislative bills, then go to the Michigan Capitol to debate and pass these potential laws using parliamentary procedure. The students come from all walks of life and have all kinds of beliefs, but one thing is certain: these kids don't think that voting is for "old people." It is simply amazing to walk into that historic building and see 14-18 year old kids arguing out legislation, sitting in the actual seats that our elected representatives do. All because they are hoping to make a difference in their world.
The experience can best be summed up by the story of a state representative who was in the Capitol building while Youth In Government was in session. He stopped for a moment on the House floor and listened to a rather heated debate between a student from inner city Detroit and a student from small farming community. The representative looked at a nearby advisor and said, "This is wonderful! They are really amazing! Where did they get the script?" The advisor looked blankly at the representative and said, "There is no script. This is real." The representative couldn't believe that not only were such passionate words being debated, but also that the quality of those words was so high as to surpass even the most seasoned of public speakers. In topics ranging from gay marriage (a bill they passed) to the death penalty (which they defeated) to rumble strips on the roadways (passed) to requiring a world religions class as a requirement for a state certified diploma (which not only passed but won "best bill"), these kids put democracy in action, and in the process, most of the rest of us to shame.
Many experts claim (rightfully) that the transient nature of 18-24 year olds prevents them from voting, but that can't be the whole truth. How can it be? When only 36.1% of 18-24 year olds vote, it cannot possibly only be because they are away at college, or the military, or off working. Even if the law is sometimes against them (as it is here in Michigan, where your voting address has to be the same as what is on your driver's license – a good idea except it in effect discourages young people who are away from home from voting) there have to be other reasons as to why there are not a greater number of young voters coming to the polls.
Perhaps what we "old people" are really afraid of is that young voters might stop feeling disillusioned, or convinced one vote couldn't make a difference, and instead actually get involved in the political process. It is a hard conclusion to come to, but in an election year, it is a harsh reality. If an eighteen year old votes, it has the same power as a sixty-five year old that votes. And the same power as a thirty-two year old that votes. Whether you are a soccer mom, a NASCAR dad, a member of the AARP or voting for the very first time, each vote is counted exactly the same (hanging and dimpled chads aside, of course). Traditionally, 18-24 year olds don't vote in great numbers and therefore aren't considered by many candidates to be a group worth courting. Hence, issues important to young voters aren't spoken about on the campaign trail, and so young voters become disillusioned with their candidates who don't (or won't) deal with their issues. So they don't vote. And the cycle begins anew.
John Foster-Keddie, the 26 year old (of the 50.5% voting 25-34 year old demographic) designer of the infamous Urban Outfitters shirt claims, "This shirt's real intention is to sum up the current state of political affairs, pointing a finger at all of us who've been so apathetic in the past." But that is a platitude. It is a tired expression of insincerity and a poor example of irony. Oh, and it's wrong as evidenced by youth voter turnout in the 1960 and 1992 presidential elections. As someone who is close in age to that demographic that is so lacking in voter participation, Mr. Foster-Keddie should know better.
Mr. Foster-Keddie's words discourage voter participation in young people. And that is exactly what mainstream America wants. They don't want young people to vote because it might mean taking the conversation away from those who do. It might mean having to face serious issues that young people care about. It might mean looking at social security from the standpoint of someone who is going to need it fifty years from now rather than five years from now. It might mean having to have a conversation about foreign policy that exists in shades of gray, not Cold War black and white. It might mean having to talk about the environment and renewable energy and the potential trillions of dollars of economic growth that goes with it, rather than only oil, coal and the short term fixes whose problems won't appear until the older voter is dead. And yes, it might mean looking at gay marriage, the death penalty and even rumble strips on America's roadways. Issues that are important to America's youth. But we don't want that. We are afraid that there is some sort of finite amount of political conversation in this country and if we deviate from that even slightly then what we want to talk about will somehow be lost forever. So we manipulate what is cool and hip to serve a broader political purpose. We should be ashamed.
As I reflect on the discussions and ideas those high school kids threw around the Michigan Capitol, I am reminded that young people have ideas and a passion for making the world a better place. I am reminded that young people will work with the system to affect the change they want. I am reminded that there are quite a few young people out there who do think that voting makes a difference, regardless of their age, and will fight to assure their voice is heard. To me, there's hope in these reminders, and for that, I am thankful.
