Missed message

Americans were enthusiastic and engaged in their communities; thus, their government was responsive to their needs and respected their rights.

In recent times, however, this kind of engagement has declined. Most people think of politicians as disconnected from their own interests or concerns, unresponsive to their needs. In some capacity, this idea is true -- our representative democracy depends on a civically engaged citizenry; otherwise, government becomes unduly influenced by interests that do not represent the will of the people.

Teenagers tend to hold this misconception. Politicians address those issues that will get them the most votes or donations. Why bother trying to engage a notoriously unreliable voting bloc like those under 30 when pandering to lobbies such as the AARP and the NRA can effectively win elections?

This is when teenagers become apathetic; it's hard to get out the youth vote when the main issues of an election are so distant from our immediate concerns.

Not that politicians and other political organizations haven't tried. We've all heard the messages from MTV, P. Diddy, and countless others about why we should "Rock the Vote," but these slogans don't address the common misconception that even if we do vote, nothing will really change. And it's obvious that these messages have fallen on deaf ears. The number of voters under 30 in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections remained stagnant at just 17 percent.

Thus, the cycle of effective disenfranchisement begins. Teens become apathetic because politicians are unresponsive, politicians become indifferent to teens because they are apathetic and don't vote.

The way to break this cycle is to make teens feel like they have a voice that politicians will listen to. That's how youth movements in the past have started. Students for a Democratic Society became a major force in American politics and society when, in 1968, Lyndon B. Johnson decided to not run for re-election after anti-war advocates showed enormous support for Eugene McCarthy early in the primary season.

A similar situation is occurring right now, but in a way that is more compatible with today's technology. Politicians have been reaching out to youth by holding events on social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook. CNN even held the YouTube debates, allowing users to submit questions directly to candidates.

Making politicians answerable to young people forces our interests to be considered.

Michael Lawlor is a recent graduate of West High who will be attending Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York this fall.