Political Education for Students Who Cannot Vote

Photo+courtesy+of+Element5+Digital+on+Unsplash.com

Photo courtesy of Element5 Digital on Unsplash.com

Gianna Germano, Staff Writer

Many students in Ward Melville and across the United States are buzzing about this year’s election. Students have strong opinions on this year’s Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates, as well as current and enduring issues within our nation and around the world. However, some disagree with the fact that students are becoming more involved in politics, as they are still “kids” and cannot legally vote yet.

This poses a loaded question: Do students who cannot yet vote have a responsibility to educate themselves on politics? 

As children grow up, they hear political opinions from the adults around them, which can form a political bias within them before they’ve even had the chance to understand their core beliefs. The issue of bias is nothing new, but it can cause a huge sway in votes towards one party without people even knowing why they voted the way they did. It is important for young citizens to be educated so they can formulate their own opinions based on their ideas and values, and not blindly follow the opinions of others. 

It’s also important for students to educate themselves before they are able to vote so that they have an early understanding of the world around them. This understanding will lead to more informed political decisions, which are necessary when it comes to electing presidential candidates or voting on new legislation. If we do not learn from our past as a nation, we will never be able to make educated decisions when taking steps to better it.

As the future of our nation, it is imperative that students educate themselves on the current political climate in order to identify the changes that need to be made to our government, and how we can make the United States stronger, safer, and overall a better place for all citizens in the future.

Students have an extremely important responsibility to educate themselves on politics before they can vote, as the future of our nation lies within their very hands.