General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRepublicans and the current state of lazy young voters.
After a while, one has to be honest in regard to the presidency and the elections.
Statistics do not lie, after all.
Every Republican president turns out to be worse than the previous one, and that can be proven with evidence.
Every Democrat president has to fix the damage the Republicans did and they do a great job under the circumstances.
How much longer must this cycle continue before people wake up and realize that Republicans are absolutely toxic? Will they never wake up and will we eventually destroy ourselves because people cannot be bothered to educate themselves?
It has been noted that present generations are the laziest we have seen in a very long time.
They are veritably ignorant in regard to the state of the country.
Idiocracy is taking effect due to present generations incapable of removing themselves from their phones long enough to care that America is going to shit.
Change is capable, but it will not happen via one's phone. It will happen by standing up and taking a stand against the type of governmental corruption that will only make things worse rather than better.
crazycatlady
(4,492 posts)1) Voter ID laws disproportionally target younger (and older) voters. In many cases, a college ID is not an acceptable form of voter ID. If a student goes to school out of state and has a drivers license/state ID from their home state, that is not valid if they register to vote in College Town. In most cases, Grandma (who gave up her license) can get an absentee ballot, but young people need a reason to.
2) Civics education is lacking. I graduated in 1998 and was taught how to vote (not who to vote for, but a voting machine was brought in and we had a mock election) by the board of elections. I'm not sure if schools do this now.
3) They feel that politicians are not listening to them or the issues that matter to them. This can be solved by electing younger people to office that understand the issues that the millennial generation (and Gen Z behind them who is now coming of age) understand-- things like the cost of college and student loans.
4) Some of the rabid rightwingers are pretty vocal about younger people not voting ('oh you wouldn't understand' and 'they should go back to only allowing white male property owners over 21 vote'). I see this in my own family. Some feel that only established members of the community should vote
JHan
(10,173 posts)and young people have always been naive.
Millennials can be annoying but many of us are also engaged and aware and talking about issues our parents didn't dare touch. It doesn't help that we grew up in an environment where we were taught to be antagonistic towards politics and government. Have you seen this image before?
Snarkoleptic shared it on here a while back: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028769002
How many millennials know about that concept of governance?
Some of my peers who are half aware are inhaling libertarian nonsense, others are completely deluded about politics and the point of participation. This is what many of us were born into, it takes a lot of effort to undo that level of brainwashing and conditioning.
CK_John
(10,005 posts)automation and UBI should be on the list of issues. Then they will start to take part in society.
DemocratSinceBirth
(99,710 posts)"I wish people would stop characterizing today's youth as somehow different from previous generations of youth.
Our youth have always been idealistic, and when rebuffed, became disengaged.
At 16 yrs old, I went through a period where I organized and promoted a Black youth movement for states' rights ... Why? Because I reasoned Black folks held a numerical advantage in major urban areas (thereby, giving us the edge on close to home matters, i.e., local and legislative seats, and consolidated influence in state-wide races) and because the old-heads placed weight in the, too slow to react, federal government. And when the "movement" failed, after one election cycle, I disengaged because "they wouldn't listen."
Our youth have always been struck by novel political concepts/ideology.
What youth hasn't returned from college as a Socialist, a communist, a libertarian, a pan-Africanist, even a republican, because "hey, it just makes sense! (and, I'm smart enough to understand what you don't!"
Our youth have always believed everything they think is brand new. (See the above: "it just makes sense! And, I'm smart enough to understand what you don't!"
The only difference I see (based on my lovely daugter) is the youth of previous generations were not subject to/ruled by instant gratification, and were never taught/led (allowed) to believe (again, based on my lovely daughter) that their neophyte opinion held sway, just because they thought of it ... both of which gives them the belief, they can jump the "get stuff done" line.
Fortunately, for those that will/would do anything beyond talking and dreaming, with age comes patience and wisdom ... and with patience and wisdom, comes engagement and progress.
Thanks."