By Emma Cummins
Staff Writer
“What is a Republican?” A student asks.
Hopefully, after hearing that question, you are also cringing, just like me.
Students, specifically my generation, have a narrow minded vision of what they need to succeed in the world. They may know how to get an A in an Advanced Placement Biology class but when it comes to differentiating between a Democrat and Republican, they scratch their head. The lack of knowledge will eventually hurt them in the long run.
Getting good grades in high school is important and should be rewarded but at least a rudimentary knowledge of politics and history is very important for a student to succeed.
One of my own friends has this problem. He has amazing grades, high SAT scores, and is a hopeful Ivy League student, but when asked to name one political bias or fact about Hillary Clinton, he drew a blank.
Students should know the fundamentals. The function of government, it’s levels of power and what purpose each one serves, as well as the differences between a Republican and Democrat and knowing that they are not the exact same as the differences between Liberals and Conservatives. In addition, knowledge of past presidents’ policies as well as those of the current president is a need to know.
In North Korea, people’s voices have been silenced. No one has the right to speak up for what they believe in and the citizens are treated inhumanely and cruelly. In recent years, many have tried to escape and make their way to the United States or South Korea in order to enjoy the freedom that each and every American citizens gets to experience everyday.
If high school students don’t take the time to educate themselves, decisions that affect us could be made without our voices being heard. High school students have the distinct privilege of being able to vote once they turn 18 but many young adults don’t realize that this is a privilege that many people outside of the United States don’t get to enjoy.
When our country first began, being involved in politics was a norm and most of the population realized how important it was to take a stance. The American people worked hard to receive rights. The Civil War and the Suffragette Movement are just two examples of Americans sacrificing their lives and working hard to receive a voice. It is our responsibility to maintain those rights that many people established. But today, that same sense of civic responsibility has not transferred to our generation.
In 1964, 50.9 percent of 18-24 year olds voted, by 2012 only 38 percent of young adults voted. This drop in voting percentages is cause for concern. If it continues to drop, this generation will be unprepared to handle this world that we will be responsible for.
However, it does not take joining a political campaign to become educated about the world around us because we have access to news at our fingertips. All we have to do it take a few minutes a day to brush up on what is happening.
More often than not, students have barely any idea of what is going on outside of Coppell politically. Leaving high school without any prior knowledge about politics can leave that individual in a weak and vulnerable position to many political figures who will take advantage of a person’s ignorance.
However, the places they choose to pull information from can also skew their views. If a student’s primary and only source for information on politics and world issues is CNN, they could be swayed to only think and agree with whatever that certain news station may cover or present.
High school is a very sensitive time and if a student only chooses one site to learn about the world they are soon going to enter. Indoctrination and propaganda can be powerful and often detrimental tools for many mass media outlets or for those who are in the political arena.
Educating students on different places to find information such as Fox News, ABC News and others could be a significant game-changer for our generation. The more sites you visit, the more views you can formulate and inform your opinion.
By becoming more involved, students can also ensure politicians will be geared toward helping the people and keeping them accountable.
All that is required during high school is to be sentient of the fact that there is a larger world out there that will affect you in some way. Just checking one or two websites such as CNN and FOX everyday for 10 to 15 minutes can make a difference.
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