Midterm elections are coming up in November, and many young adults see nothing important about this.
We have heard over and over that millennials are considered the lazy generation, and this especially rings true when it comes to election season. We have grown up in a society where convenience is valued. It is seen in our progression of technology, the expansion of fast food chains, and experiencing Netflix and never returning to ad-filled television again.
There is a mentality that what we want from our government will just be "figured out" for us.
And I believe that is a root to why our voter turnout is so low.
The 2016 presidential election is forever seared in our brains, and definitely motivated more Americans than previous elections to go out and vote. But will that drive carry over into this 2018 election?
According to the NBC News Website, nearly 45% of Millennials have said they probably won't vote this November, and it makes me wonder if younger generations don't believe that midterm elections don't matter as much. This could be due to the lack of media coverage, but most likely because we don't have the knowledge of what exactly these elections do for us.
Right now, we are facing President Trump's term, and many progressives are looking to elect more Democrats into local offices to drown out Trump's influence on policy. Midterm elections are held in two-year intervals between a president's term and have historically shown to be a hindering season for previous presidents' agendas, especially when their polls are low.
This is the time to elect new governors, mayors, one-third of our senators, and all 435 house representatives.
And not just political positions, but state legislation is also at stake.
Many states are reconsidering their laws about marijuana. What do you want your state to do about it?
What are the solutions to gun violence in states like Florida, Texas, or Maryland, especially after this year's shootings?
Will states like Indiana keep or do away with laws that allow businesses with religious preferences to discriminate against customers who violate their faith?
These are some of the things we have the power to decide.
Stop neglecting to do your part in our political system and then playing the victim when narcissistic politicians like Donald Trump are accidentally elected into office. Create and vote for a nation you want to be proud of, a nation that has a flag every individual feels comfortable standing for, and more importantly, a nation for our children to come into and carry on the same pride.
We are a generation that has grown up under the impression of terrorism starting with the fall of the World Trade Center, influenced by gun violence after Columbine, and the stripping of a once conservative nation and marching into an age of equality for all.
We cannot let this learned helplessness from our upbringing take away our voice. It is our time to make change.
This November will be my first time voting, and I am excited to participate in the progression towards a more equal, open-minded nation. Whatever your beliefs are, I hope you will come out on November 6th and take advantage of your right to pull for a better America.
