During this semester, I am taking the honors-level version of a state-mandated civics and economics class at my school. The class is quite interesting, and it involves a lot of open dicussion and thought.
On Tuesday, the teacher assigned a fun project in which we were to write a mock state referendum concerning a state issue. I decided to do my argument on lowering the voting age from 18 to 16.
That night, I used reasons given on NYRA’s website and from my own personal experience about why lowering the voting age is essential. I stated reasons such as youth working and paying income taxes and other taxes, how youth are held to a lot of the same standards as adults, and etc.
On Wednesday, the day of the presentation, I delivered my referendum. In order for it to be approved, the majority of General Assembly (the class) had to support it. Much to my delight and surprise, 11 out of 15 members of the class signed their support. Even my teacher was voicing her support and stating all of the reasons why she felt it should be lowered.
One of my reasons I included was the “[The current voting age is the] familiar concept of ‘no taxation without representation.’” The teacher was ecstatic at this connection I made.
Other students had referendums about lowering the driving age to 15 (In North Carolina, the unrestricted age is 16.5). While there was one on about raising the driving age, it did not have any support whatsoever. Another referendum was about lowering the drinking age to 18 (actually two people had referendums about that). Both youth rights-friendly proposal passed.
I am quite pleased with the turnouts of these mock discussions. It is encouraging to know that there are actually other youth and even teachers out there who care about youth rights.
I came across this news story over on Yahoo just a little bit ago. I have posted it in the Current Events forum as well.
Are these people who study teens a broken record or what? Teens don’t get enough sleep. Teens aren’t taking good enough care of themselves. It goes on and on. And I’m rather tired of sounding like a broken record with the constant “But you never pay attention to this when it comes to adults!”
Although, I concede that isn’t always true. The population in general gets the finger pointed at them that they aren’t eating right or sleeping right or breathing right or whatever. What we have here in this article is the journalist’s valuable mixture of public health hysteria and teen concerns, both a surefire attention grabber and method to scare people into believing their cockamamie stories.
While, yes, there are so many other comments I could make about this article, such as how they repeatedly refer to 17-year-olds as children or how they explicitly support parents forbidding TV or Internet to teens within hours of ideal bed time or how they think that these electronics could not possibly have a relaxing use (a third valuable journalism tool, fear of video games and other forms of modern entertainment), I really just must ask one outward question.
How much more of this, whether as youth rights activists or as society in general, are we going to take?
I just wanted to thank all of you. This forum and the NYRA has really affected me. I was/am really depressed, but when i go on here i feel like i am surrounded by friends. :love:
Thank you all. I just wanted you to know that your 1/3 of the reason i get up in the morning. Which is the majority.
A new project of New York City Indymedia, IndyKids, has been censored by two area library systems. After agreeing to distribute IndyKids to their local branches, both the New York Public Library and the Queens Public Library changed their minds and now refuse to distribute the paper. They say the reason for their decision is that IndyKids is not “balanced.”
….
It is fine for the library’s materials to put forth these perspectives, but the library should not pretend that these are balanced and exclude other points of view. As a public institution supported with taxpayer dollars, the libraries have the responsibility to distribute all kinds of publications from a variety of perspectives.
The American Library Association’s “Library Bill of Rights” states: “Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.”
Of course IndyKids comes from a certain perspective that probably isn’t balanced. However as they point out, the stuff kids are given currently isn’t balanced either. A free marketplace of ideas accepts conflicting viewpoints and allowed the individual to make up their own mind.
Apparently libraries think different rules apply for kids, that they shouldn’t be free to make up their own minds about issues but just accept a sanatized, establishment approved viewpoint. Which is why this is relivent as a youth rights issue, since libraries certainly accept different unbalanced views in adult newspapers and periodicals, why not in material geared toward kids? No doubt they feel youth “can’t handle” it, or are incapable of thinking critical about the material. Or they simply wish to push a certain viewpoint and can get away with it. Who knows.
btw, IndyKids did an article about our push to lower the voting age in NYC. :b:
Once when I was six years old I saw a magnificent picture in a book, called True Stories from Nature, about the primeval forest. It was a picture of a boa constrictor in the act of swallowing an animal. Here is a copy of the drawing.
In the book it said: “Boa constrictors swallow their prey whole, without chewing it. After that they are not able to move, and they sleep through the six months that they need for digestion.”
I pondered deeply, then, over the adventures of the jungle. And after some work with a colored pencil I succeeded in making my first drawing. My Drawing Number One. It looked like this:
I showed my masterpiece to the grown-ups, and asked them whether the drawing frightened them.
But they answered: “Frighten? Why should any one be frightened by a hat?”
My drawing was not a picture of a hat. It was a picture of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant. But since the grown-ups were not able to understand it, I made another drawing: I drew the inside of the boa constrictor, so that the grown-ups could see it clearly. They always need to have things explained. My Drawing Number Two looked like this:
The grown-ups’ response, this time, was to advise me to lay aside my drawings of boa constrictors, whether from the inside or the outside, and devote myself instead to geography, history, arithmetic and grammar. That is why, at the age of six, I gave up what might have been a magnificent career as a painter. I had been disheartened by the failure of my Drawing Number One and my Drawing Number Two. Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them.
So then I chose another profession, and learned to pilot airplanes. I have flown a little over all parts of the world; and it is true that geography has been very useful to me. At a glance I can distinguish China from Arizona. If one gets lost in the night, such knowledge is valuable.
In the course of this life I have had a great many encounters with a great many people who have been concerned with matters of consequence. I have lived a great deal among grown-ups. I have seen them intimately, close at hand. And that hasn’t much improved my opinion of them.
Whenever I met one of them who seemed to me at all clear-sighted, I tried the experiment of showing him my Drawing Number One, which I have always kept. I would try to find out, so, if this was a person of true understanding. But, whoever it was, he, or she, would always say: “That is a hat.” Then I would never talk to that person about boa constrictors, or primeval forests, or stars. I would bring myself down to his level. I would talk to him about bridge, and golf, and politics, and neckties. And the grown-up would be greatly pleased to have met such a sensible man.
I don’t really have a whole lot to add to either of their commentaries, they seem to both have a good understanding of the issue. Of course anyone interested in lowering the voting age should check out NYRA’s voting age resource for more facts and arguments supportive of the idea. I certainly hope this snowballs, but we’ll see. Its definitely an issue worth consideration, and as Matthew and DJW mentioned, there really aren’t any good arguments against it.
Its great to see Matthew pick it up as well, he may not remember, but we’ve actually known each other since high school. We both participated in the NYLC conference in DC, and hung out that week. We never kept in touch, but a year or two ago I found out he is a writer and popular blogger now. Small world. Great to see him, and others, picking up on the issue.
I’ll definitely have to get in touch with both Matthew and DJW. And that essay by Michael S. Cummings that sparked this, “On Children’s Right to Vote”.
This is a message to parents about controlling their TV and computer. Yes, your cable or satellite services comes with parental controls, as do your computer’s ISP, anti-virus software, and anything else you have loaded onto it. With these, you can restrict and monitor the activity of others on these devices, specifically your children. This way, you can protect them from online predators, pornography, violence, swear words, religions or other ideologies that are not your own, discussion about drugs, or the ability to communicate with others using a technology not available when you were their age.
But did you know there are better tools to accomplish all of these goals? That’s right! Maybe you’ve heard of them.
First and foremost is respect. You probably know it as something you expect from your children without question. But did you know that you can also give respect to them? Give it a try. Yes, I know, you’re the parent and giving your children respect may seem backwards and inappropriate and perhaps even makes you feel demeaned, but it is an excellent tool. It even invites your children to respect you without needing to extort them into it or punish them for not doing it. And this is genuine respect, not the fake respect you get from extortion and punishment. Genuine respect may not give you the immediate feeling of having someone smaller and perceived inferior to you fear you, but you’ll find in time this works wonders not only in your children’s growth process but also what your long-term relationship with them will be.
What does that have to do with anything? It lays the groundwork, for next comes trust.
By reading this title, you may be wondering what the hell it has anything to do with youth rights. This is more of a personal story in connection to a general youth rights theme, so just relax and keep on reading to find out more.
I must let you know that I have been a huge fan of ketchup ever since I was young. I’m not sure how my addiction to it got started, but it seems like it has grown and grown over the years. I don’t want to gross anyone out, but I do like to put ketchup on just about everything I eat - many things that some people consider it as being weird.
And ever since I was young and have had this craving, my dad has criticized me the entire time. My mom and grandparents don’t mind, but they do make a joke about it once in awhile, and I am fine with that.
My dad, on the other hand, has constantly told me to stop eating so much ketchup - to cut back on it. He warns me of supposed risks with consuming a lot of ketchup such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, and other health risks.
Generally, I am pretty healthy. I must admit that I’m not in the greatest shape, but my health does not revolve around my liking of ketchup.
In elementary school and even middle school, the cafeteria workers would only allow students to get three (small) packets of ketchup. It was not an easy thing to get through lunch with, but I managed to do so. In fact, the ketchup packets were only out on the lunch line on days when they felt students should have ketchup - days that they served hamburgers, hot dogs, or other types of meat.
Now, in high school, there is a big container of these little ketchup packets that are available for anyone to use and take. I usually take around eight packets of ketchup to my table every day, and it’s not like I am wasting it - I use every bit of it.
And, even today, I often face ridicule for using so much ketchup. Some friends of mine think it is disgusting - which I am sure a lot of people would agree. Some other people think I’m only doing it for attention. Well, I’m sorry, why the hell would I be eating all of this ketchup-laden food if I didn’t like it?
What is it with restrictions on ketchup? Sure, the cafeteria must pay for it, but why was it limited to a small amount and only on certain days in elementary school?
It all comes down to one thing. If a student is old enough to decide what to order at lunch, then I have news for you, he is also old enough to decide what kind of food he wants to eat.
My father may continue to chastise me, but I won’t put up with it. My mom doesn’t let him get away with it either. It’s my right to eat ketchup, and I will continue to do so until I no longer crave it as much as I do.
As I write this post in my first period class at my school during my spare time, I realize that I am fortunate. While my school is mainly pro-student rights, I realize that there are some schools that are ageist and barbaric in their policies.
This must change. Students are in school for nearly eight hours a day, coming close to the normal workday. If you add it up, a student is in school for about 40 hours a week, sometimes against his will, and not receiving any monetary compensation.
Some might say, “Oh. They shouldn’t be paid. Attending school is preparing them for the future workforce.”
Okay… That’s all good and all, but what about the students who have no desire at all to become a scientist, a PE coach, or a mathematician?
Don’t get me wrong. I understand the numerous benefits and advantages of taking English classes, math classes, science classes, and all of the other classes. In fact, I enjoy learning about such topics, and I find it practical in my day-to-day life.
The ordinary person has to have a high school-level understanding of English to be successful in the work force and everyday life. You may not need a high school-level understanding of math, but you do have to know how to add, subtract, divide and multiply. With social studies and science classes, that might be a bit harder to explain, but they are still valuable. When you understand topics better, you sound like you know what you are talking about - intelligent.
However, since not all students want to take such subjects, all schools should offer classes that prepare these students for a career after school. Career management and classes practical to these students must be available.
I wandered over to the SSDP blog and had a look at this entry. It got me thinking.
Great. Students at this particular high school are fighting the proposed mandatory random drug tests. It is very refreshing to see students who, no matter how they feel about a proposed policy, aren’t just sitting back and taking whatever ageist, totalitarian crap is being forced upon them. I wish more students would follow this example.
But who knows? Why don’t students fight for their rights like this in greater numbers? Are they afraid they’d be alone in the battle? Are they trying to preserve their reputation? Do they feel they and their peers, regardless of innocence, deserve to be treated this way by their elders? Are they so convinced they are powerless and should remain that way? Do they actually believe they are inferior people to their elders?
That’s just sad. Those in charge are getting what they want by dumbing down students so much and undermining their ability to change what is around them, now and later. If such apathy towards wrong and prejudicial injustice is taught so much, not directly but ingrained over time and thus much harder to undo, it’s not like these students will change later in life. They’ll live out their lives doing absolutely nothing about unjust laws and unconstitutional rules. You can tell them all you want that these rules are unconstitutional. They’ll just regurgitate the same lame excuses their elders do about why such exceptions are necessary for safety or practicality. They’re convinced of it. They worship that ideal. Anyone who says otherwise is a crazy, uncaring idiot. Because, you know, the more limits you put on people, the more you say they are incapable of being trusted or thinking on their own, the more you care about them.:rolleyes:
But not these students at Chicago’s Francis Parker School’s SSDP chapter! These brave people are doing the right thing. They know they’re being wronged. Regardless of protecting themselves or their reputations, setting aside the nagging voice saying “don’t fight such a ridiculous battle, you’ve got homework to do and college applications to work on…”, they’re taking a stand against forced drug tests. They’re inviting other students around the country to take stands as well. At least they should. Student protests must be more widely publicized, so to inspire others to do the same, as mentioned briefly in the SSDP blog entry.
Because why do these ridiculous laws get suggested and eventually put in place and enforced? They know the people it’ll affect will just lie down and take it. Screw that. Just say no.:cute:
Age of Reason is a group blog for the National Youth Rights Association, maintained by our members to help educate and inform the public about youth rights.
Too many people grow up. That's the real trouble with the world, too many people grow up. They forget. They don't remember what it's like to be 12 years old. They patronize, they treat children as inferiors. - Walt Disney
Why don't you 
Comments(4)
