I Voted

Great Voting Experience!







Lawrence, Kansas! Rock Chawk go Barack - one voter told me

Should We Reduce the Voting Age?

This week the National Youth Rights Association released this ad via YouTube and began spreading it across the internet.



I've written about the reduction of the voting age before, yet I still remain fascinated by this topic that still garners so much criticism among the youth movement.

They present a strong argument on DailyKos, but it's quickly met with harsh criticism in the comments section.

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Most 16 year olds work and pay taxes, but with no say at all in how their tax money is spent.

Teens will be most effected by issues like education and environment, but have no voice that counts.

16 is a BETTER age to start voting than 18. 16 year olds are more tied to their communities (they are more likely to live at home with their parents). Many 18 year olds are moving to brand new communities to which they have no ties and feel less of a vested interest.

16 year olds can put the government and politics courses they are learning into action, making such coursework more effective and increasing their interest in voting.

Even the government agrees that 16 year olds are presumed to have enough knowledge to vote. In fact the voting rights act of 1965 that anyone with a 6th grade education is presumed to have the "literacy, comprehension, and intelligence to vote in any election." 42 U.S.C. 1971 (c). If a sixth grade education is enough, which shouldn't high schoolers who have completed 9th or 10th grade be able to cast a ballot?

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Another solid argument is that there have been tens of thousands of young people under the age of 18 who our judicial system has decided are adult enough to stand trial as adults.

When I posed this as evidence that our government already considers these youth as adults to some in the youth movement it was met with urgency to reform the judicial system instead, and spend more time on issues that matter more.

Another argument not included is the high school drop out age. Some states like New Hampshire have raised the age to 18, but in many states in the south it remains at 16.

The age to get married in the US is usually 18, but most states allow it if there is parental consent for those 16 or over. If you're pregnant parental consent is waved in many states.

Recently, republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin announced her 17 year old daughter was both pregnant and getting married, but Bristol does not get to vote for her mother this year.

Had Bristol chosen a different alternative to having her child, she could have had an abortion without her mother's consent, since Alaska laws do not require parental consent you seventeen or older. But she still would not be allowed to vote for laws allowing or banning such procedures within her state.

In the end, there is a lot of hypocrisy around these laws, many of which go back and forth on what states consider an age to be old enough. I think this presents an interesting double standard and I certainly wish their movement luck. The most disheartening statement from youth movement advocates against this is when they say that we should push for laws that increase turnout rather than decreasing voting age.

I don't see this as a "youth movement" issue or an issue that is designed to get more young voters. I see this as more of a rights issue that is more about the individuals themselves and a basic right being denied to them while they are affected by laws that shouldn't take effect until they are 18. At this point we have such an overwhelming number of laws and statues in many different states that I don't think we can undo them to abide by the "18 rule". Thus, the only real equality is to reduce the voting age.

This Is intense!

Wow! You probably haven't heard from me in a very long time, but let me tell you I am still alive! Oh yea! And trust me I have done nothing but organizing voter registration drives and getting some of the students pumped up for the elections. I am really looking forward to seeing students getting registered to Vote at the Northland College Campus Center.

Being the Student Body President has allowed me to organize these kind of events to get the youth involved with this election season. I'm going to be honest, I have been kind of surprised to see that there are many people that are registering to vote for the first time.

Talking to some community members here in Ashland, Wisconsin has been a great experience because they tell me that they love the fact that the youth are getting involved with this election, especially because Northland College is a great part of the community. Some of the students see that the issue that is most important to them is the environment. Northland College has a great environmental focus to be a sustainable campus where students make the difference. They also find school tuition and financial aid availability one of the top priorities.

Some students have decided to get involved with the local political office, hoping to get deputies to go out and get people registered to vote. The small town movement is important to Wisconsin. As a strong political state, Wisconsin can make the difference in this year's election. I find it great to see the variety of representation is among the resedential halls when it comes to their favorite candidates. I have seen doors with signs for Palin and McCain and Obama /Biden. Groups are organizing to spread the word. Ruth Anne Atkinson, a sophomore at Northland, has started a student group for Obama/Biden and there are other groups for the Green Party, Independents, and Republicans on its way as we wind down to the debates. I will be attending the first presidential debate in Mississippi this week, and I will be reporting from there. Its going to be a great experience!!

NAS at Jimmy Kimmel

This past week I was attended a NAS out-door mini concert for the Jimmy Kimmel show, right behind El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California. To be honest I didn't really know who NAS was until one of my fellow reporters with Rock the Trail, DeNishia Yearby, wrote about him on her music blog. I was intrigued to find out who he was and so I decided to go to his concert and, to my surprise, he is now one of my favorite performers. His music is inspiring and true. It is honest and catchy.

As NAS was getting ready to perform, I asked Mark Labastida, a young NAS fan, the reasons behind his interest in NAS's music. He stated that, "the reason that I like his music is because he is true to himself, he speaks the truth, and he proves he is not a sell out. He tells his audience how things are and how we should not be fooled by the entertainment industry." Mark also added, "the best part about NAS is that he is not blinded by money and that is important for me that he is true to himself and most importantly to US. His messages through his music are what grabbed my attention since the beginning."

Fans were screaming and yelling for NAS to perform his hit song "Hero." As I listened to it for the first time I realized why all these youngsters were happy to be there and see him perform. It was because he was being true to each and every one of us.

"If politicians want to reach the youth for their VOTE," another NAS fan stated, "you must be true, ya' hear."

Pause for the Cause

I recently had an interesting conversation with a democrat and a republican that bothered me. I feel that since we are nearing the presidential election that it is ok to pause from my normal beats to focus on this issue.

While hanging with a diverse group of friends, I had one friend state that he is voting for Barack because simply because the senator is black, while my other friend said he is voting for McCain because he is a republican. This caught my attention because I didn’t see a strong reason why either would chose to vote for their candidate. Then, it hit me. I googled (as always) both "youth" and "voting" and most of the topics that came up focused on getting youth to vote instead of encouraging youths to value issues that would encourage them to vote.

Exercising your right to vote is good, but finding the right reason(s) to vote is even better. Voting isn’t like deciding between a pair of shoes or betting on your favorite sports team. This is a very serious issue that decides the fate of our country whether you believe it or not.

I’ve heard the excuses that the “candidates aren’t including the youth,” but if we don’t give them a rational reason to really reach out the the yoth vote then they will never address our needs.

We should be so in tune with this election that democrats vote for a republican because their views are stronger and vice versa. I’m not saying vote outside of your political party. I’m saying that it is important to actively engage in both candidates. The opposite party may have a platform better for your future, or maybe even your party—I don’t know.

Here’s a simple solution I found that works for me. Find issues that matter to you—economy, environment, violence, abortions—and see which candidate’s platform fares the most towards your needs. If one candidate, despite party affiliation, has more to offer you as far as your needs are concerned then you have created a legitimate reason for backing that candidate.

Don’t let your parents, friends, or respective political party choose how you cast your vote. Don’t let the media influence your vote. While their opinions are always great in helping to make you aware of the issues at hand, use those opinions as grounds to help you decide. Do NOT let the opinions of others make your voting decisions for you.

CELEBRITY BLOGGER: Megan Krizmanich

For Americans, voting is a priviledge. All people have a voice that deserves to be heard. One song that inspires me to push to have my voice heard is "Bloody Sunday" by U2. It is an overtly political song that describes the horror felt by a bystander. The song begins by saying, "I can't believe the news I heard today" and you come to find out that what the person has just overheard is the same news that they have been hearing over and over again for quite some time. Yet, it is apparent that nothing is being done to change those things that they keep hearing about.

War has been prominent not only in America but all throughout the world for hundreds of years. We continue to let war be a part of our world and we put up with having thousands of our soldiers become casualties—but what have we gained? Bono's lyrics inspired me to become active in politics because I believe that my voice can be heard and that I, too, can make a difference.

-Megan Krizmanich, American Teen

HOLA! Let's Get Started! ~~ JoCelyn SiDa

Hey everyone my name is Jocelyn Sida but most people know be by Jocy or Josie. You can spell it both ways I guess. I am a 19 year old Mexican American. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. I currently attend school in Wisconsin in a small town next to Lake Superior called Ashland.

On the day I turned 18, I registered to vote, and voted the first chance I had. As I went into the Bredding Community Center in Ashland, I had a smile from cheek to cheek. As I grabbed the ballot out of Mrs. Collins hand and went inside the booth, I could not believe that time had flown by and this was it, I was actually an adult now, and that this was how it felt like to make a difference, the feeling of satisfaction and joy and the feeling that you now actually could achieve anything... And I did it, I darkened the bubble and I did it, It was done. I was the 276th person to vote that day, the time was 1:30pm too, just thought you might want to know.

I'm a radio deejay for a Spanish radio show, and I am a fan of Juanes, whom is one of the many artists involved with Rock The Vote. His music has so much rhythm. Juanes has brought happiness to the lives of people in many nations-- not just the Latin countries but all those in the third world spectrum-- through his Latin music and his humble personality and devotion to his family. He has performed with Nelly Furtado in "Fotografia" and has performed inspirational music throughout his career. My favorite song is "La Camisa Negra."

As a Rock the Trail Reporter, I plan on connecting with young voters from all cultures. I hope to be able to provide a sound representation of the issues that matter to the Millennial Generation and to get more and more people to go out there and SPEAK OUT and most importantly VOTE!

Introducing the Rock the Trail Reporters

Our Rock the Trail reporters arrive in DC today for their debriefing, before they head out to cover the 2008 elections.

I asked them each to answer a few questions:

1. Describe your first time voting.
2. Who's your favorite Rock the Vote musical artist?
3. What issues matter most to you as a Rock the Trail journalist?

Check back soon to hear what each of our five new reporters has to say.