Debunking the old fat man myth

Why should young people be involved in the political process anyways? 

"It's just a bunch of old, fat, men sitting in a room."

That "old fat man" remark is the biggest reason I hear when hanging around people who talk about politics that prevents never go beyond just talking about politics. They think because they're not old or fat or male they don't have the right to say anythig

So let me put an end to that line of thinking in the first of most likely many quotations from The West Wing: as President Jed Bartlett states, "Decisions are made by those who show up." 

This is precisely why we, the young people of American, need to start taking part in the political process. Politicians (aka the old, fat, guys) and their compatriots/supporters are the ones that show up, ergo they become the ones that get the power. Then they have the power to make decisions in countless aspects of our lives, decisions ranging from declaring wars, to passing economic and educational measures, to even whether or not two men or two women can marry each other, decisions that will ultimately affect us when we are older and paying taxes, getting married, and paying off our student loans. We need to make sure or local, state, and national representatives of all the branches of government will support us and our goals in life, because we are the future. If our legislators leave us a "hot mess" in terms of economic, foreign, and social policies, it's our hot mess to clean up after. 

I hope by now I've hit home enough on the fact legislators make decisions that effect us, even though for most of our lives we haven't been able to vote (it's actually one reason why candidates won't ever dare to mention eliminate social security, but some will promote cutting students loans-because old people vote en mass and young people don't-but that's a topic I'll discuss in a later blog).

It all comes down to the fact we, the young citizens of America, need to stop just discussing our anger over decisions of legislators over lunch in the cafeteria in high school, or dinner in the dining hall in college. We need to step up and start making our voices heard. Let's stop listening to the little old ladies sitting at the front of the church telling us "we young whipper snappers are going to send the country into ruins", and instead; let's start listening to the history teachers in the front of the classroom that have repeatedly told us that movements start when a group of mostly young people get together under a common goal.