The recent referendum in Great Britain should be a wake up shock to all voters that elections do have consequences. In particular, this lesson should resonate with our young voters. Listen to the cries from the young following the British referendum vote, attacking older voters for doing them in. They should be looking at themselves for taking the vote for granted. With a stronger message from the young and a higher turnout, this likely would have been avoided. Now they are stuck with buyer's remorse in addition to the impacts on not just their economy but little things like movement and travel around Europe.
One of the main messages I share with young people is the importance of their involvement early on in the political processes that lead to the election of our government leaders at all levels. Why do I push this? Because they, the young, have the most at stake in most elections. When the electorate makes a good decision and good decisions follow, everyone, particularly the young, benefit. When bad decisions are made, it is the young who live with those mistakes the longest. Also, the older one gets, the list of voting issues for many diminish. That means key issues for the young, whether it be quality, affordable education or taking care of the infrastructure that we pass on to them, good results may depend on the young turning out to vote. Folks my age are more likely to have fewer and more focused priorities, and we do vote.
This of course leads to the elections we have in Kansas this year, starting with the August 2nd Primary, and the thought of what a powerful, positive influence young voters could have if they vote. I’m not suggesting older voters will not support wise-investing conservative to moderate candidates, but for some, their focus may be more short-sighted. Young voters wanting a strong Kansas, quality jobs, and a positive environment for raising a family, need to seek out candidates from either party that serve their interest. Voting records are available, and watching which organizations support which candidates can easily tell you the candidates who fit your interests. Be informed. Help quality candidates. Vote early, and get others to the polls. Share messages and information with your friends online and in your community. Elections do have consequences, and in case we needed another reminder of that, we can now simply look to our neighbors in Britain.
One of the main messages I share with young people is the importance of their involvement early on in the political processes that lead to the election of our government leaders at all levels. Why do I push this? Because they, the young, have the most at stake in most elections. When the electorate makes a good decision and good decisions follow, everyone, particularly the young, benefit. When bad decisions are made, it is the young who live with those mistakes the longest. Also, the older one gets, the list of voting issues for many diminish. That means key issues for the young, whether it be quality, affordable education or taking care of the infrastructure that we pass on to them, good results may depend on the young turning out to vote. Folks my age are more likely to have fewer and more focused priorities, and we do vote.
This of course leads to the elections we have in Kansas this year, starting with the August 2nd Primary, and the thought of what a powerful, positive influence young voters could have if they vote. I’m not suggesting older voters will not support wise-investing conservative to moderate candidates, but for some, their focus may be more short-sighted. Young voters wanting a strong Kansas, quality jobs, and a positive environment for raising a family, need to seek out candidates from either party that serve their interest. Voting records are available, and watching which organizations support which candidates can easily tell you the candidates who fit your interests. Be informed. Help quality candidates. Vote early, and get others to the polls. Share messages and information with your friends online and in your community. Elections do have consequences, and in case we needed another reminder of that, we can now simply look to our neighbors in Britain.
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