Not This Time

“People who don't vote have no line of credit with people who are elected and thus pose no threat to those who act against our interests.”I share these words from Marian Wright Edelman, Founder and President of the Children’s Defense Fund, to urge all young voters to protect their interests and vote. The history of voting in America has been trying at the least. Many people were harassed, imprisoned, and killed to allow all citizens to vote, not just white men. The twenty-sixth amendment was ratified in 1971, giving all citizens eighteen years and older the right to vote. Fifty-one years earlier, the nineteenth amendment was ratified giving women the right to vote. Fifty years prior to that, the fifteenth amendment was ratified, giving all men the right to vote. This generation is lucky enough to have been born with the right to vote. Yet, despite all of these struggles – including the Civil Rights Movement that led to the Civil Rights Act of 1965 - we still witness disenfranchisement of citizens. In the aftermath of terrorism, we have grown up with laws such as the Patriot Act, proving that right are taken away much easier than they are given. As American youth, we dictate fashion and culture around the world. In addition, we have technological outlets that connect us in a way no other generation has ever been connected. From MTV to MySpace, we could create a global youth movement in a manner of minutes. What if we used this power to truly “Rock the Vote”? Then politicians would have no choice but to listen to our issues. Such as lowering the cost of college tuition, protecting the Social Security system we are currently paying for, and keeping young men in school, off the streets, and out of jail. We are the largest population in the United States and we are just as responsible for its greatness and shortcomings as our parents, our grandparents, and out politicians. We need to begin molding the America we are going to live in. We can only do that by being active and heading to the polls on November 4th.
From the Director of the Decency Initiative, Tamika Mallory