Rare News Desk
Meeting a young person passionate and knowledgeable about politics is like seeing a dog walk on its hind legs — it’s a rarity worthy of applause. The fact that it is so uncommon is a tragedy and will be a great disservice to the future of this country.
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So how do we engage young people and energize them to become a part of the political process? Start small.
Politics can be overwhelming to young people. Even political junkies admit it can be difficult to follow it all. So for beginners, find an issue that you care about, an issue that matters to you, and an issue that seems manageable.
The key is honing in on the core values of young Americans and finding out what they care about. The Keystone Pipeline XL may not generate a lot of youth enthusiasm, but I do have an idea for what will. It’s not Obamacare. It’s not taxes. It’s not abortion.
If you really want to see young Americans squeal, start messing with the Internet.
The Internet is said to be the great equalizer, but for young people it is much more. Americans under the age of 30 grew up in an era where there always was the Internet. It has become an extension of themselves, a reflection of their lives and a day-to-day necessity in order to survive.
A 2011 Cisco System’s study that found that people under 30 believe that the Internet “is as valuable to them as air, water, food, and shelter.” Think about that: the Internet is literally as important as life itself.
So how do we bridge the gap between young people’s apathy for politics and their literal life-or-death reliance on the Internet?
Their life online is under attack by the government, thanks to the rise of our national security state.
The exposure of the National Security Agency’s domestic spying program, and the continued revelations there after, should scare anyone who values online privacy. Recent polling shows that America’s youth supported Edward Snowden’s decision to release classified documents related to NSA data collection. Out of every age group, younger Americans were far more likely to disapprove of the NSA’s surveillance programs.
Rightly, the revelations hurt Barack Obama’s poll numbers among younger voters.
“Younger voters tend to believe the Internet should be an area of free speech and free communication, and the idea that the government is looking into what you’re doing is distasteful — and particularly distasteful if run by a president they voted for,” Princeton University political science professor Julian Zelizer told The Hill.
If conservatives were smart, they would seize this opportunity to champion basic civil liberties, including the right to privacy.
Republican Kentucky Senator Rand Paul has done just that, and continues to gain popularity for his defense of civil liberties. This was on full display last spring during his 13-hour-long filibuster, where he demanded answers on drone strikes on American citizens without due process of law.
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There is something we can do to prevent a generation of apathetic youth, and the answer lies with parents. Just like any values and traditions that we learn from, politics can and, should be, a part of it. If politics is a part of your parents’ life, it is far more likely to be a part of yours as well. Parents shouldn’t shy away from policy issues, even at an early age. Engaging young children in a thoughtful way will help them to see the value in political discourse. We model ourselves after our parents and learn our values from them. If politics isn’t important to them, it’s unlikely to be important to the children.
Having fled communist Cuba when he was 16 years old, my own father cares a great deal about politics. We had a routine each night before I would go to sleep: he would make Cuban coffee and we would sit down and watch CNN Headline News.
I remember being very young and discussing the fall of the Berlin Wall and the concept of communism. He never treated me like I was too young to learn about the world. I believe it was those conversations that led to my lifetime interest in politics and punditry.
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The politics of Washington can be petty and frustrating. Cut through that clutter and speak to issues that matter to young people – civil liberties, and the Internet.
All it takes is one simple step, one simple act or one simple issue to help more Americans, particularly young people, become informed and engaged. The real opportunity to make inroads with younger Americans lies with the egregious civil liberties violations that threaten their digital lives.
