By: Jonathan Tran
Politics always seems to be regarded as one of those adult things everyone puts off for as long as possible. Most teenagers will stick their heads in the sand, blissfully ignore the understated role that the government plays in everyday life, breeze through American Government as seniors, and continue into college as unconcerned individuals unaware that they have a real stake in the political environment of America. I’m not saying we should all start running for president or inspiring sweeping political change in our local towns (it’s not very easy!), but I feel that at least being aware of current events in the political sphere isn’t bad or difficult at all. But why do so few teenagers seem to care now? It’s because we lack a voice— we lack the power to vote. Lowering the voting age is a good thing.
Understanding what’s happening in America today is incredibly important. The actions being put in motion now from every level of government are unlikely to affect teenagers today. However, they will affect those same teenagers in a couple years when they’re adults. Yet, many of us will choose to ignore these impactful changes when they’re taking shape because we don’t have the right to vote. As a result, many political candidates will choose to ignore the needs of the younger generation in America because they know they won’t get their votes anyway. As the political landscape changes around us we are helpless to do much about it, because we don’t have that vote. We can rally together in marches and walkouts, such as those seen across the country in the wake of shootings and continuous gun violence, but it’s unfortunate that such grim times have finally caused our voices to be heard. And it still doesn’t change the fact that we have no voting power.
Something I always hear from my friends is, “Of course I don’t care about who’s running for office. I can’t even vote.” And I have to admit, they have a point. I could sit here all day and try to argue why being politically “woke” is so beneficial, but without the ability to act on that awareness, it’s a tough narrative to push. By lowering the voting age, it sends a message to teenagers that their opinion does matter, and that they should take a more active role in the events and politics of America— the very same one they’re inheriting in only a few years.