William Penn Life, 2000 (35. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2000-10-01 / 10. szám
^Volunteers, □not voters The puzzling nature of today's young Americans YOUTH OF AMERICA ARISE! That cry is not coming from people on the fringes of society, but from thoughtful, concerned people interested in the future of our country. An interesting phenomenon has occurred over recent years. Young people have become disenchanted with politics to the extent that they are not registering to vote when reaching the age to do so. On the other hand, the number of youth helping others on a one-to-one basis through volunteering has dramatically increased. "I know we are not an apathetic generation, " said George P. Bush, the 24-year-old nephew of the Republican presidential candidate. "We just need the inspiration to help shape what our country's future will look like." This view was echoed by a child from the other side of the political spectrum. Karenna Gore Schiff, daughter of the Democratic presidential contender, said that "for all our creativity and enterprise, too many of [my generation] look at the ballot box and say, 'Whatever.' But Generation X does care deeply about our country." Such sentiments make the numbers all the more puzzling. Voter registration among young adults has been dropping since the early 1970s, when the voting age nationwide was lowered from 21 to 18. "Even in the 1998 gubernatorial election (won by Jesse Ventura), when Minnesota's young voter turnout was the country's highest, only 11 percent of eligible young voters went to the polls," said Mike Erlandson, chairman of Minnesota's DFL party. By comparison, the overall voter turnout in the state that election was 60 percent. Young Americans are avoiding the ballot box. But, why? "Young people are, to a certain degree, into doing their own things," said David Bositis, a political analyst at the Joint Centers on Political and Economic Studies in Washington, D.C. "They see politics as being disconnected from their lives." Sometimes, the reasons why young people aren't voting are much simpler, and more disconcerting. For example, when the Cuyahoga (Ohio) County Board of Elections and that area's League of Women Voters polled local registered voters between 18 and 24, they found that 39 percent of respondents didn't vote because they were never taught how. But, not all young voters are turned off. Matt Landry, a 19-year-old from Attleboro, Mass., believes voting provides young people with an opportunity to influence the political process. "Everyone needs to vote," Potential power Contrary to popular myths, today’s youth are not selfabsorbed, violent and amoral. The facts are that 60 percent volunteer in their communities. The most common place for a young person’s first service opportunity is their place of worship or school. Nearly ail—93 percent-of young people believe they can make a difference in their community. said Landry, who is president of the Student Government Association at Hofstra University in New York. "People fought and died for the right to vote. Even if I hate the two candidates, I'll still [vote]." Yolanda Blair, a senior at The Blake School in Minneapolis, wrote in that city's Star-Tribune: "Young Minnesotans could make a big difference in this fall's presidential election—if they show up to vote." The sheer numbers back her up. There are about 50 million Americans between the ages of 18 and 24, making them a potential electoral mother lode for any candidate who can tap into their psyche and energize them enough to go to the polls. One solution to youth voter apathy can be found close to home. Fraternal benefit societies, like our own WPA, have the potential to guide youth to the voting booth. "The seeming apathy of new potential voters provides an opportunity to make a dramatic difference for fratemalists in America by taking the lead in encouraging their young people to exercise their voting franchise," said David Larson, president of the National Fraternal Congress of America. Part of what makes the WPA and other fraternals special is the level of patriotism found in our members. Tapping into this resource, said Mike Stivoric of the NFCA's Marshal Program, could lead to positive results. "If older members contributed a few minutes on this subject with young adults, the results could help put a new group of voters at the forefront of influencing our nation's public policy. "m Ifilliau Penn Lile. October 2000 7
