Olivia's Soap Box

Let me tell you the tale of why so many young people, in my personal opinion, are not very active in politics. This will also explain why you'll rarely see young people giving comments during committee meetings, or advocating for stances on important issues.

We have grown up with hearing about how frustrated our parents are with the government. We went through the 2008 recession and felt the effects linger throughout middle school on to high school graduation, and even continuing when we finished college. Like our parents and grandparents, we too have given up on our government. The majority of school studies focus on math and science, which results in young adults who have no idea about the process through which the education and appropriations bills went that cut funding for the arts and sciences.

I believe, that because we have so little faith in the government, we have given up. No matter what is said, no matter who publicly comments in committee meetings, regular people are not listened to because we are not the ones funding campaigns. (That's what it's all about.) If we wanted the government to spend money to protect our water or our state parks we would have to have money and time to wait for just the state government to get a law put into place. 

We cannot wait, and yes, we are impatient, but because our lives and the lives of the next generation depend on it. We are used to being able to get information in 2 minutes. We rally, we participate in fundraisers for causes we believe in, we try to be happy in a world that wants us to drown in reality and create cynics out of all of us because if our parents and grandparents aren't happy why should we be? 

The majority of people in positions of governmental power right now won't survive to see the effects of taking away the arts, draining aquifers below sustainable levels, plastic buildup in the ocean, logging, land development, coal burning, fossil fuel consumption, a media consumed by propaganda, pollution dumping into the water system, and a money-consumed government. And the knowledge that no matter what we as young adults say to our government, it will not convince someone that children of the present and future should be safe and fed and educated, upsets me to no end. Our stories won't get senators and representatives to vote in favor of bills that would impact the lives of ordinary people because they've not received money from those ordinary enough to work 40-50 hours a week. That is terrifying and frustrating, especially to people my age who want to help others and ensure the safety of our future children. Partly, because we don't have time to waste, and we know it. 

I want my children to be able to see coral reefs, and go to clean beaches, and be able to go to school and learn about the world. I don't want my children to live in a world they have little chance of thriving in. 

Yes, one person can make a difference, but a governmental system buried under layers of money compounded over years cannot be dug free by only one. Changing the mind of one representative or senator doesn't happen often, let alone in enough time to have the minority overcome the majority when it comes issues like fracking or plastic bottles. It takes years. I've heard stories of how bills that protect children, protect our water sources, protect our forests, and protect our springs have taken over a decade to be put into law. 

We cannot wait years. Half of the House and the Senate members will be dead by then. I will most likely have children. Our air will be as polluted as China's is right now, and our water as polluted as India's, my children won't be able to go outside to draw with chalk. All because I do not have the money or the voice to change the world on my own, or gather enough people. I cannot take money out of the government across 50 states single-handedly. 

In my opinion, most of the people my age are extremely passionate when it comes issues they care about, but are so disillusioned because the media along with everyone around us says we should grow up. I've been told that I'm not pretty because I'm not a model, that my entire generation is lazy, that we are unappreciative of what we have, that we have no idea what we are talking about, and that we know nothing compared to those older than we are. But we still try, and hold on to the hope that we can change the world because that's often all we have left.