Blueprints for America's Future

In September 1783, the American Revolution came to a close after thirteen years of conflict. Since then, the United States has survived due to a delicate balance between the principles it was founded on and the changes that have accompanied the passage of time. With each generation of American citizens have come new ideas and philosophies, new debates and the rekindling of old ones, some of which have helped the nation take a step forward and others a step back, and with so much responsibility resting on the shoulders of the youth, it leaves one question: Are they ready?

If history has proven anything, it’s that change is inevitable. With advances in medicine and technology, this holds true today more than ever. Civilizations might take years to rise, but they can fall in the blink of an eye over anything from tyranny to a change in currency. The petro dollar is a perfect example of the latter. Because the United States relies so heavily on that system, if it were to collapse, it’s possible the entire economy would go with it. There’s also the matter of the national debt that’s sitting just north of 18 trillion dollars. If recent events in Greece are any indication of what happens when a country gets in over their heads, the potential for disaster is like a mounting avalanche. If you add that to the endless fighting in the Middle East, the reliance on foreign companies to manufacture American goods, and the recent trade agreements that could potentially wreak havoc on American industry, you’re looking at several issues that most young Americans aren’t even aware of, or don’t really seem to show any interest in.

“I don’t think people our age actually research topics. I don’t think most of them even know what’s going on,” said Los Angeles resident, Emily MacRae. “People have become more concerned with social issues like same-sex marriage and racism, and they’re completely ignoring the more important issues like keeping our country safe and our economy stable.”

Are foreign and economic issues more important than social ones? This is one of many questions that have Americans divided these days. It’s also a difficult subject to argue because foreign and economic policies receive so little attention from the media, you almost wouldn’t know they exist. Anybody who has picked up a newspaper or turned on a computer or television in recent months is well aware of issues regarding same-sex marriage, racism, police brutality, and the never-ending debate over gun ownership, but few are aware of anything that affects the bigger picture that is America. That being said, are young Americans really to blame for the lack of information? Or is the media’s obsession with issues that only affect certain individuals at the heart of the problem?

In a speech made by President Obama regarding whether or not America would interfere with the fighting in Syria, he said, “Now, I know that after the terrible toll of Iraq and Afghanistan, the idea of any military action, no matter how limited, is not going to be popular. After all, I’ve spent four and half a years working to end wars, not to start them. Our troops are out of Iraq. Our troops are coming home from Afghanistan. And I know Americans want all of us in Washington, especially me, to concentrate on the task of building our nation here at home; putting people back to work, educating our kids, growing our middle class.”

According to USA Today since 2013 the United States has seen 37 mass shootings, which are classified as more than four deaths incurred by one person. The most significant of these shootings took place on June 17, 2015 in Charleston, N. C., when Dylann Roof allegedly walked into the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church and killed nine people. Because of Dylann Roof’s interest in the Confederate flag, that day was followed by debate and protests over whether or not it’s a symbol of racism and if it should be allowed to fly over government buildings. There have also been two significant race-related riots, several government scandals and growing disapproval over immigration reform. If this is what the president had in mind when he said nation building, it must not be working. And for anybody who has done the research, shortly after the president’s refusal to place American troops in Syria, he armed and trained the same rebels who would later become ISIS. With the 2016 presidential elections right around the corner, it’s important that young Americans educate themselves on politics that expand beyond social issues and pick their future president wisely, to ensure that these things don’t keep happening.

According to the United States Census Bureau, America’s young adults are participating less in the elections than they have in the past. Eligible voters ages 18 to 29 have reported a net decrease of 1.8 million in the time span between the 2008 and 2012 elections. With this age group making up 21.2 percent of the eligible voting population and only 15.4 percent of them voting, it shows there’s a problem. With so many young adults becoming politically active these days, why are so few of them voting? Is it a lack of information or a lack of interest?

Richelle Taitano, a student at Orange Coast College had this to say, “All the information I get about presidential candidates are from social media, and I look into it further on the Internet. I know a lot of people in my life that have their own thoughts and beliefs on certain topics, but I know a few that don’t seem to care and just go with whatever.”

With social media becoming the most relied upon source for information, and the thought process of young Americans being so heavily influenced by their friends, the media and political bloggers, it’s possible that the days of independent thinking are coming to a close. This acts a double-edged sword. One of the greatest things about the United States is the freedom its citizens have to think and say what they want, but with that freedom comes the possible issue of not knowing how much the words of others are influencing the way people think and feel towards certain ideas. A majority of Americans get their televised news from CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and occasionally the BBC. With each of those networks promoting their own political ideology, either strongly supporting the left or strongly supporting the right, there aren’t many sources for unbiased news, with the exception of the BBC, who shows an outside perspective. It’s possible the low number of young voters is due to a fatigue at political griping on both sides of the aisle. So much of modern politics is a battle between liberals and conservatives over things that don’t benefit the greater population of the country. And this hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Can young adults be trusted with the future of America? Absolutely. What they lack is an incentive. Many people in the age group of 18 to 29 don’t vote because they don’t see the point in it. They want their voices to be heard, but they see participating in government elections as a useless exercise. Perhaps it’s time for a political movement that doesn’t pit American citizens against each other, and instead renews interest in patriotism and love of country. It doesn’t matter if you’re a democrat, republican, or independent. A little knowledge can go a long way. The 2016 elections are right around the corner, and yes, you can make a difference.

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