An Inside Look into the Political Perspectives of Young People - Kana Rasmussen
By Kana Rasmussen
Early Sunday morning, a group of dedicated high school students gathered at the downtown Democratic Resource Center to write letters to their senators, school board members, and representatives about issues that mattered to them. I had been thinking about what I wanted to write my April newsletter article on for a few weeks, and when I found myself sitting with these wonderful people who care so deeply that they decided to wake up early and spend their weekend morning raising their voices for change, I realized that I wanted to write about them. More specifically, I wanted to hear about the reasons that drove them to show up. So I asked some of them a few interview questions reflecting on what matters to them and how they think young people’s involvement in politics can grow.
What local issue is the most important to you?
Parker: “The insane amount of division and pointing fingers across party lines is absurd. There’s very little positive discussion. We live in the same nation. We’re supposed to be compromising for the greater good, but we have such a hard time doing this. On both sides of the political aisle. It’s so much back and forth: conservatives do something, liberals make it the first priority to reverse it, on and on until very little to no progress is being made. We need to work together.
“I’m not saying we need to just be friends and move on, sometimes it’s necessary to hold your ground on issues. We just need to reflect a little more.”
Talitha: “The funding for our schools. Just recently, our arts programs at Memorial High School were just recently cut. This will impact our students directly.”
What kinds of political events/involvement are interesting to you?
Parker: “More social oriented events, group discussions and multiple perspectives. Less just going to listen to one person speak and leaving. Discussion is super healthy in the political space.”
Talitha: “Protests, working at booths and tables and interacting with lots of different people.”
How do you think we can increase political involvement in young people?
Parker: “Making politics more open to people who are neutral or centrally aligned. Encouraging wide participation from people who are maybe not certain about where they stand politically, not just left-leaning people. And being willing to answer questions about more progressive beliefs and values. There’s a lot of distrust in the current conservative platform, and we should capitalize on the opportunity for central people to engage with the left and learn more. The ball is in our court, we gotta take it and run with it for as long as we can.”
Henry: “I think that youth interest in politics is, in actuality, much higher than many adults give us credit for. Teenagers care passionately about many issues currently happening, and have a desire to make real change. When I talk to my peers at Memorial, they express concern about war in Iran, ICE agents terrorizing immigrants, and education cuts. Kids our age have been taught the pillars our nation were built on and they see them being torn down, which concerns them. So the question is really: How do we make them comfortable enough to use their voice? The only way to do that is to normalize kids going out and saying what concerns us.”
Although this is just a small look into one group of politically active students, I think that it’s greatly important nonetheless. Between all of these students, you can see clearly that there’s a shared feeling of wanting to build community and connect with others, which is quite refreshing considering the rather divisive and often cold nature that politics often is associated with. As young people who cannot yet vote, the greatest skill we have is our ability to speak up about impactful topics. And that is indispensable.
About the Writer:
Hi! I’m Kana Rasmussen. I’m a sophomore at Memorial High School and I would consider myself to be pretty politically active and progressive. I’m the co-president of the High School Democrats and I love running, writing, and playing a variety of instruments. I’m really excited to be running the club and writing for the Dems this year. We’re always welcoming new members and would LOVE to have you and your friends. Even if you’re not sure all of your values align, that’s completely okay: stop by and join us!