The big 18: don’t surrender your 15th
October 2, 2016
When turning 18, many of us teenagers can only think about all the things we can do now that we’re considered legal adults. We can now purchase tobacco products, get piercings and tattoos alone and even buy lottery tickets. The last thing on our minds is voting. Of all things voting in the 2016 election should be our first priority.
With presidential voting being every four years, the last time there was an election we were only 14. I don’t know what you were doing when you were 14 but I certainly wasn’t at home watching presidential debates. Most 14 year-olds couldn’t be less interested. If we intend to be the potential leaders of America, we need to start today. The best place to start is with voting in this election.
Now, many of us are 18, old enough to vote, and this year’s main presidential candidates consist of republican Donald Trump and democrat Hillary Clinton. Tough decision, I know.
Some believe that it’s easier to not vote at all. That’s mainly due to their dislike for both candidates. Because of Hillary’s shady past people refuse to give in and vote for her even though they don’t support Trump either.
But if we are not voting we are a part of the overall problem. Laying down and surrendering your right to vote will get us nowhere. It doesn’t take us forward as a nation, and it doesn’t hold anyone back from supporting Trump. At this point,I say find the one you hate least who you believe has our best interest at heart and vote.
Some of the students don’t typically follow politics, but in this day and age that is just fine. We have the Internet and with that you can find Trump and Hillary’s social media sites along with polls and dates. Everything we need to know about this year’s and previous elections can be found within the screens of our smartphones.
Us teens need to be sat down and have politics explained to us. If you’ve forgotten, let me remind you: us kids are the future. We need to develop our own opinions and find our own way. We are the future doctors, lawyers, and potentially even presidents of this country. If we intend to be the potential leaders of America, we need to start today. The best place to start is with voting in this election.
Vote. And if your friends aren’t voting, encourage them to do so too. If anyone is eligible to vote then that is exactly what they should do. No matter how small and insignificant we may think we are, we need to know that the future is ours. The next four years are in our hands if we want to change it.
