The debt in the United States is now more than $16 trillion and is increasing daily by $3.9 billion. There are 30 legal brothels, homes where men can visit prostitutes, in Nevada. Gay marriage has been legalized in nine states. And this doesn’t even include information on health care, military cuts or the legalization of marijuana.
Many young adults have chosen to be apathetic toward these topics, which is simply astonishing to me. I believe that every single citizen of the United States should have a well-formed, intelligent opinion about our president, Congress and what is going on in the government.
My generation in particular is at the age where the government is going to be affecting us directly through our future careers, salaries, taxes, health care, etc. As a young adult myself, I am constantly talking about my future aspirations: what industry I want to work in, where I want to intern and where I eventually want to establish a career. So, if I am going to be this concerned about my future, why shouldn’t I be just as concerned about my country’s future? If this country falls, my dream job will no longer be available and I can push those aspirations out the window.
“It isn’t that I don’t care, it’s that I just don’t understand politics,” my friend once told me. That may be true for several young adults, but it is still a lame excuse. When I took my general education course in biology, I did not understand the material at all. But the more I listened, read and studied, the better my grade was and the more I understood as well. There are plenty of websites, newspapers and older adults that can help educate younger citizens on who is in each office and topics being discussed in the government. So really, there is no point in using the excuse of “I don’t understand” any longer.
Having an opinion is great, but simply having one is not enough. As a young adult, it is not acceptable to say, “I am a Republican or I am a Democrat because that is how I was raised.” It is time we make our own decisions and have good reasons for why we support our beliefs.
