Comments on: How can we get kids to vote? The Pirates Party! http://blacksmythe.com/blog/2006/08/01/how-can-we-get-kids-to-vote-the-pirates-party/ The Future is Here Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:26:42 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: kspence http://blacksmythe.com/blog/2006/08/01/how-can-we-get-kids-to-vote-the-pirates-party/comment-page-1/#comment-55 kspence Thu, 03 Aug 2006 22:13:33 +0000 http://blacksmythe.com/blog/?p=59#comment-55 spedy, the idea that people should vote because it's their civic duty ignores the reason they cast a vote in the first place. you should cast a vote because there is something you want government to continue doing, start doing, or stop doing. and electing someone to office is a means to that end. that's it. you don't do it because someone died for you. you don't do it because your mother.teacher.brother told you to. .... next time you get a chance to go to a south side high school, ask the kids what are the biggest issues they face as a community. i'm willing to bet that they've got a number of issues, whether it's drugs, crimes, liquor stores, or the lack of jobs. they aren't concerned with taxes because most of them only pay sales tax, but they are concerned with other things that can be changed by political participation. we've got to get them to understand that. and deal with the adults while we're at it. spedy, the idea that people should vote because it’s their civic duty ignores the reason they cast a vote in the first place. you should cast a vote because there is something you want government to continue doing, start doing, or stop doing. and electing someone to office is a means to that end.

that’s it.

you don’t do it because someone died for you.

you don’t do it because your mother.teacher.brother told you to.
….

next time you get a chance to go to a south side high school, ask the kids what are the biggest issues they face as a community. i’m willing to bet that they’ve got a number of issues, whether it’s drugs, crimes, liquor stores, or the lack of jobs. they aren’t concerned with taxes because most of them only pay sales tax, but they are concerned with other things that can be changed by political participation. we’ve got to get them to understand that. and deal with the adults while we’re at it.

]]> By: Spedy http://blacksmythe.com/blog/2006/08/01/how-can-we-get-kids-to-vote-the-pirates-party/comment-page-1/#comment-54 Spedy Thu, 03 Aug 2006 17:38:10 +0000 http://blacksmythe.com/blog/?p=59#comment-54 Voting? I guess if you have to use an example to get the youth to at least have a passion for something, it may help get them to actually find reason to vote. I think voting has to be personal. Right now, most youth have no worries. The burden, in my opinion, is on the parent(s). Even in the poor neighborhoods, there is an adult that takes on the big issues and shields that child. Thing like taxes are the last thing on a child's mind. If a child had any idea about the process of voting (outside of the classroom), it probably would scare them. I think some of us do need to educate the children on issues and voting. Of course, we need to also take our children around or Uncle Ray-Ray with the 1970 Cadillac Fleetwood, custom upolstered with an 8-track tape player. *LOL* That's a historic device. ;-) Voting? I guess if you have to use an example to get the youth to at least have a passion for something, it may help get them to actually find reason to vote. I think voting has to be personal. Right now, most youth have no worries. The burden, in my opinion, is on the parent(s). Even in the poor neighborhoods, there is an adult that takes on the big issues and shields that child. Thing like taxes are the last thing on a child’s mind.

If a child had any idea about the process of voting (outside of the classroom), it probably would scare them. I think some of us do need to educate the children on issues and voting. Of course, we need to also take our children around or Uncle Ray-Ray with the 1970 Cadillac Fleetwood, custom upolstered with an 8-track tape player. *LOL* That’s a historic device. ;-)

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