As much as teenagers hate to admit it, they do resemble their parents…and not just in the looks department. Often they make assumptions and decisions based on their parents’ biases. Students need to learn to evaluate and decide for themselves.
Take the presidential election for instance. Students make blind, blanket statements like, “My dad is voting for Obama, so I will, too,” or “We hate Obama, so I am not going to vote for him.” Are these really reasons to select a leader of the free world? There is more to it than just choosing sides–Democrat or Republican.
Adult choices should be made based on facts, not emotions. This is not the school yard where one group ostracizes another because they have cooties. Our country should not run on adolescent drama like this.
If you want to be a real American, make an informed decision. Look at the actual issues and not the rumors about them. Do some research. Realize that there are more than two names on the ballot for president. Look at all the choices. Just because you are in Texas does not mean you have to blindly vote for one party or the other. By that criteria, a terrorist could run for office and get elected if he was with the correct party.
Any candidate should be picked by what he/she stands for and thinks would be better for this country as a whole. One problem here stems from the exclusion of any but the two major parties in the official debates. Remember that those major parties run on funding just like the country does, but money doesn’t always make it right. Decide on the issues, not who is popular.
Voting is a right of passage, but taking it seriously can make a difference in the way our lives will be in four years and possibly generations to come. We just need to find out the actual facts and weigh the issues, not act on trivial supposition.
At times our ballots may seem insignificant, but if we make decisions based on prejudice or lack of knowledge, perhaps they are insignificant.