By Project Youthanize
Special to the daily cardinal
The 2008 presidential election is over and Barack Obama is our nation's president-elect. Polls show the youth did quite a bit to make that happen, comprising 18% of the total electorate and voting roughly 2 to 1 for the Democratic senator. But what happens to the youth movement now that the election is over?
Frankly, that's entirely up to us. We've proven ourselves to be a capable and influential voting bloc, one that has the power to change the outcome of an election. But now that we've done our civic duty, we have to ask ourselves some important questions.
How concerned are we? How involved do we really want to be? Was voting enough? Or will we use the influence we had on Nov. 4 to steer the politicians we elected into the future?
We at Project Youthanize believe that our work does not end on Nov. 4th, but begins on Nov. 5th. Although we can all celebrate a little - regardless of political party - that we as young people proved ourselves in this election, this is no time to rest on our laurels and call the job done. With so many issues affecting our generation today, ranging from education and the economy to energy and the environment, we cannot afford to fall back into the abyss of political apathy.
We propose the youth continue our involvement in politics by forming a nonpartisan, national youth interest group to ensure that the voice of America's young people can be heard in Washington. Forming such a body would coordinate the youth movement, channel our energies into an effective medium and allow us to protect the interests we share as a generation.
In the coming months, Project Youthanize will be shifting its focus from engaging youth in the electoral and political process to mobilizing Millennials to actively participate in Washington politics. The intention is to take our project to a national level, to coordinate youth movements across the country and form a political organization devoted to the youth voice for generations to come.
To do this, we need your help. Please, don't quit now that you've voted. Keep your eye out for Project Youthanize events in the next few weeks, and consider putting your talents and passion toward solidifying the position of the Millennial generation in Washington. Our country is changing; let's be a part of it and let's ensure that young people have a place in politics for generations to come.
