Whether you follow politics or not, you probably have some idea of what is going on. 2020 is the next presidential election and that means the Senior class of Carroll will be voting.

Politics are deemed as an “older person” concept and more young adults are getting into politics. As an example in California 80 percent of the 18-year-olds voted in the 2008 election (Washington Post).

I think a lot of what has to do with younger people voting is who is running too.

That means that the seniors of Carroll High School and along with millions of other 18-year-olds are going to be voting. This is very exciting for not only them but for the candidates as well.

Many candidates today are trying to get the vote of the younger generation like, Bernie Sanders. This has its pros and cons. Not all 18 year olds are educated on politics and don’t always have a solid idea of what’s happening.

Students I have seen in my classes are opinionated and have a voice, which is awesome. For us, we are paving the way for our future. We need to be educated on an important topic like politics.

On the other hand, some students go with what’s popular and jump on the bandwagon.

It bothers me when kids will go along with what anyone says. It’s like they can’t think for themselves.

So many of these kids at that I have seen in my history classes are completely oblivious to what they are “supporting”.

For kids to be educated about the underlying facts of something they support is crucial. Today kids are forced to think certain things about certain candidates. This also has to do with the media.

I’ve seen so many kids in my history classes be ignorant about these types of things.

With that, a student and teacher have both voiced their opinions

Cassie Middleton believes students should care enough to know important issues and learn about what is going on in the world.

“ Yes I do care, and yes kids in our grade should because it’s our future,” she said.

It gives me hope that not only will she be active in politics but also every other high school student.

Mr. Carter Ringle a US History teacher weighed in as well.

He had informed my class of everything we would need to know about not only past history, but the history we are making now.

“High school students should care about politics, as should every American citizen. Civics and government education is essential in a republic, and for young people in particular, this education allows students to understand how the government works, which rights are reserved to the people, and how to hold the government accountable. In practice, caring about politics means political participation. You have to pay taxes and follow the laws, so you might as well exercise an informed position,” Mr. Ringle said.

Students often express political opinions in US History classes Mr. Ringle said.

“Some of these positions aren’t fully formed, but it’s good for students to use what they know to inform their politics,” he said.

These responses made me realize that if we pay attention to the government then that means “political participation” and that we already pay taxes, so we should follow what our money goes towards.

Are young adults getting the right info about stories or people in government?

Not all the time.

I bet you could name a few media outlets like Fox News and CNN. The media can be an ignorant and uninformative thing.

I hope that by November 3, 2020, all of the 18 year olds of America will vote and that they will be conscious of who they select.

After all, we are the future.