Sorry, this is the part where I really stir up a s%!#storm.
It looks to me like the primary focus of Unity08 is to field a small army of high school students on election day to circulate a petition asking the major parties to stop the current game of divisive politics and play nice.
I will sign this petition if I get a chance and urge everyone else to do so as well – but I don’t see much chance that this will make a difference. I’d love to be wrong.
The reasons that I am not much moved by this focus on youth activism are:
1. It’s what everyone else (e.g. Rock the Vote) has done to little result. After all, the youth demographic is still the least likely to vote of any group.
2. I don’t take my politics from school children. I love their passion and energy, but their political opinions lack depth and nuance. Also, they tend to be overwhelmingly liberal (and this subjective judgment comes to you from someone who generally tests out one tick left of center). There’s a lot of truth in the saying that “If you’re not a liberal when you’re young, you have no heart; but if you’re not a conservative when you’re older, you have no brain.” The centrist audience that you are trying to reach won’t be that impressed either.
3. Finally, you’re ignoring your base. Who are the people who want to see a successful centrist movement in this country? There’re not the 18-24 year olds who are new to politics. They’re the 40-60 year olds who’ve had to vote for the lesser of two evils all their lives and hate the political reality that has emerged. These are the people that have built a huge pent up universe of ideas. Yes, some of these people are nuts and some of their ideas are nutty, but they have what you hope to build out of young people.
I must urge you again to take heed of the many voices that are crying out for you to make Unity08 more of an Internet driven reality and less of a top-down fantasy.
I’d love to be proven wrong, but I’m not holding my breath.
--Vern
"Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people."
- Vice Adm. H.G. Rickover
I think the make up of the Founder's Council explains the interest in 'a youth movement'.
The FC is not a group that talks well to our demographic (the one Vern describes) but we are doing more of the 'centerist' dialogue on this website.
On the other hand 'a youth movement' can be controlled in the sense of focusing a broad idea, a morale, and a passionate 'state-of-mind'. Where as WE (said demographic), go into a diverse 'portfolio' of issues in much detail because it reflects long cultivation in experience and complexity. WE might never reach a mojority position. The youth movement will start with one but they will be looking for "WE" when and if their mission succeeds.
Bill"for what we are together"
Okay, well, I think that I ought to say something here, after all, I AM a "youth". Yes, I think all of you ought to consider the fact that kids, or youth, ARE your future. I think, that more kids should be alerted about politics, because I find that people learn best as kids, and if they don't learn it now, they may never. Leading us to more uninformed voters. I find that many kids nowadays say that politics are "boring" and that everyone on both parties are stupid. Also, This is most important, if more kids aren't learning about politics, then they will learn it from their parents, and well, most of the stuff you learn from your parents you tend to agree with. Like religion, most children brought up as Christians, will stay Christians, without ever really exploring any other possibilities. So, if everyone just does what their parents does, it doesn't look like a very exciting future. I say politics should be taught in schools, and taught without bias.
We are your future!!!
I think if we are to revolutionize a new third party, or even just a new way of politics by showing all the interest that there is already for this site, the youth have to be involved. Especially if you want it to last. The youth are the future, as cliche as that is, but look at what the 18-24 year olds have witnessed in politics. The Clinton era where the youth couldn't help but listen about sex scandals in the white house, accented with bold faced lies from the president. Then we have the Bush administration with all it's horrible glory that I don't even need to go into detail about because it's just common knowledge. If you're going to get to the youth, you need to give them hope that things can be better. They're being lost to apathy, obviously, and if our future generations continue on the apathetic train, the governments just going to get more and more unbalanced power over the people, they'll get into bad habits that get them locked in the system, and it will be a vicious viscous cycle until we're renting out hotels to put all of our convicts in because the jails are full. Oh wait, the jails are full, and we're using warehouses. It's about time we figure this out.
Vern, I have an 18 year old and a 21 year old - both almost religious voters and both pretty attuned to what's going on. Granted, they're a bit out of the norm having been involved in multiple campaigns already including a Congressional campaign that lasted 18 months, and having lived as offspring of an elected official. Neither is very fond of either party and both are pretty disgusted by politicians and our current political system. It is kids currently driving Kinky Friedman's campaign here in Texas, who worked so diligently for that whack job Nader, and who would respond impressively, I think, if they felt there was a real opportunity to shake up the status quo. That's what kids do, particularly when its their peers getting their butts shot off over in the sandbox...
Mark Greene
Texas Democrat in the Middle
Mark, If Youth Doesn't Accept Its Rights & Responsibilities To This Nation Seriously - We'll Be In Even Deeper Trouble Down The Road, my only concern, is the damage current Role Models in The Government and Educational Institutions have done to their ability to sort truth from garbage ...
The Whole World is suffering Growing Pains - Our Form Of Government offers The People Of The World - Their Only Real Chance For A Life Of Freedom, Peace and Prosperity ...
Only A Political System Such As Ours, Governed By People With Proven Attributes of WISDOM, DEDICATION & INTEGRITY - Can Meet The Needs of This Nation and This World In This The 21st Century ...
What's Wrong With America is The Way In Which - We The Sovereign Power, Have Abrogated Our Responsibilities and Allowed Unqualified People To Make The Rules By Which We Are Currently Forced To Live ..
You only have face the following evidence - to recognize the truth :
The Year Is 1947 - America's Economy Is Sound - Its Industrial Facilities/Capabilities Intact - A World Out There Needing Its Products & Services : What A Bright & Secure Future We Had !!
The Year Is 2024 - America Is In Debt Over and Above Its Eyeballs, To People Who Can Pull The Plug On Us At Anytime - Our Industrial Facilities/Capabilities Have Been Exported To Competitive Nations,
Our Social and Economic Security is Dependent on unfriendly Nations and Societies, there is a very real threat to our most precious right, THE FREEDOM TO WORSHIP AS WE CHOSE !!
We need the Passion & Energy Of Our Young - And We Need To Make Sure They Recognize & Understand What's Important : Wisdom, Dedication & Integrity - on both sides of the aisle.
God Bless you - have a Wonderful Christmas & Productive New Year !!
Citizen Evans of Boynton Beach, Florida
E Mail popopete@hotmail.com
ps. If your boys are really interested in the State Of The Union & What The Country Needs - I invite them to click on www.popopete.com,
and study/evaluate the content of my postings - they should find them interesting and of value.
I'm 82 years of age - I've spent 60 Years in the trenches dealing with People & Governments Everywhere including America .. TAKE IT FROM ME - YOUR FUTURE & MINE DEPEND ON YOUTH ACTIVISM ..
It's just that right now, Our Government & Our Educational Institutions, Provide Lousy Role Models .. They Appear To Be Unable or Unwilling To Provide Our Young with the skills and positive inspiration needed to meet the demands of a changing world !!
Youth Activism Is Not The Problem : The Impotency Of The Silent Majority Is The Problem, As The Sovereign Power - We The People Have The Legal Right and Responsibility To Correct All The Problems ...
Our Government, Our Educational Institutions & The United States Supreme Court, Operate Under Entitlements Granted & Controlled By We The People .. WHAT IT REQUIRES Is A National Referendum TO ESTABLISH THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE WITH REGARD TO THE ENTITLEMENTS & CONDUCT OF : THE CONGRESS, THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT & OUR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS ..
What we old farts need IS FOR YOU YOUNG FOLK - TO BUG THE HELL OUT OF YOUR PARENTS, FAMILIES & FRIENDS : TO SEE TO IT THAT A NATIONAL REFERENDUM IS ON THE BALLOT FOR THE 2024 ELECTIONS !!
DO THIS & YOU WILL BE HELPING YOURSELF & EVERY LIVING THING ON THIS PLANET - TRUST ME - I KNOW !!
Citizen Evans of Boynton Beach, Florida
Email popopete@hotmail.com
Blog : www.popopete.com
The average voter is elderly/upper middle aged, middle class. Focus there first. However, also attune yourself to the other two: middle aged and "youth." The youth, if you won it, would be a huge voter bloc. Many middle age voters tend to vote for whom they think will win, not what their politics are. You need to get their attention, grabthe bull by the horns. What you need is a sh**-ton of advertisement, commercials telling of the website, and have members of the Unity party go out and spread it by word-of-mouth. Also, don't play the race/gender card. Honestly state what the party wants, not what the party will do. Say "we will," is a sure-fire way to lose because that is a promise. If you fail to carry through, you lose voters.
Sample ~ "The Party wants reforms "X," and we have a few ideas on how to make it come through. However, we need the votes to help it come through, and by voting Unity you can help out. We can't guarentee anything, but we will try." Also, the party should play fair. No near slanderous politcal wrangling like "Representative 'John Appleseed' voted to allow officers to tazer people as young as 7!" Tell the facts, and don't make every other candidate into the anti-christ. Leave that up to the other parties.
The current "youth" program is the college program and is based on getting college students to organize groups on their campuses and is also based around issue groups, that are prevalent on campuses, taking a leadership role and signing up others.
-A
Young people lack depth and nuance in their opinions? Have you ever sat in a class of high school students debating an issue? Have you ever read an essay by a college or high school student, Vern McGregor? What they may lack in experience they do not lack in thoughtfulness. A child would have no clue as to how to tackle a complex issue such as the Iraq War, but you are describing an eight year-old not an 18 year-old. They have just as thoughtful and in depth opinions as adults if you are willing to listen to them, but the problem is older people never take the time to open their ears. I have heard just as in depth opinions from high school students in the class room as I have from opinions on this website or on TV. I should also point out that the youth are not all extreme liberals. For example, I know many that are very religious and cringe at the thought of things like legal abortion. Without a doubt, younger people tend to lean towards the left, but I have always found that most of them, like the rest of the age groups, tend to be moderate more than they are extreme.
If we want to create a movement then we need a movement that represents the whole country. Should we exclude very religious people because they tend to be more conservative, or should we get rid of aging out of touch men for the same reason? Obviously, not because we would be contradicting ourselves by excluding a part of the nation in a NATIONAL movement.We need some energy and enthusiasm to really help things pick up steam, and as you mentioned no one has more energy and enthusiasm than young people. If we truly want to make an impact on the way politics are run in this country then we need everyone. The reason young people don't vote is because they think it is a waste of time either because they are skeptical in the government or they think they cannot make a difference. A legitimate movement that taps into people's current skepticism in our government would help change this line of thinking. I should also mention that I wrote this as an average young person that is very concerned about the current direction this country has been heading.
Here is where I need to get on my soap box a little. I'm 28 now, but my "youth" wasn't so long ago that I don't remember what I felt about politics. You have the Rock the Vote, and whatever the hell some MTV superstar wants to parade in front of you to encourage you to vote. But who is being put as figure head of that message? Just another Demo/Republi stooge that no one under the age of 40 can get behind without saying to themselves, "I guess this person is the lesser of two evils." If at all for that matter.
You want to really get the youth vote. Give them someone worth voting for. Give them someone who is willing to bluntly state an opinion, and not back down from it when the opinion polls come in. Give them someone that is willing to put their money where their mouth is. Give them someone that isn't afraid to get their hands dirty. No more guys in suits who think that dressing down is jeans and a polo shirt.
A wise man once said, "I can't wait until I can be just excited about a canidate as I am about my favorite band." The same guy says that he doesn't vote for people, he votes against someone. We are disillusioned in my generation, and I can only guess that the one coming up after me will be worse. Lets give the people (young and old for that matter) someone really worth voting for.
Gabriel
www.punkhorror.com - Cutting Edge Horror
Let us not fear the age of a voter but their capacity to make an educated vote.