The One Campaign recently emailed out a request to get American citizens to call their local Senators and ask for support in the Santorum-Durbin Amendment for global AIDS funding. I believe this is an excellent cause following the goals of the UN's Millennium Development Goals. I have been considering calling myself. I am reluctant, however, as I always am when it comes to contacting a US Senator or Representative about what laws I would like to see or not see in the USA. I have a hard time contacting someone with only my own agenda in mind.
I was contemplating this reluctance and also my desire to help create change in the government, when I realized a lack in my, and probably many other students', citizenship education. Although I know some students are taught how to write a letter to a big company or the government, I never experienced this. A friend of mine did, but it was about some cause she never cared about.
The successful workings of the US government is dependent on active citizens--citizens who are not afraid to voice their opinions to representatives. But when children are educated, they are only talk of how we voted for people to represent our opinions in the government. The focus in our world (particularly a student's world) is on the voting process. This is very important, as each representative must show that they will represent the voters well. But when do the citizen tell their representatives what they want? Voting for representatives only happens periodically, but voting and decisions in the government happened much more frequently. Shouldn't the opinions of citizens then be discussed more often between the every day individual and their representatives?
Students should be taught from a young age to voice their opinions and talk to their representatives. These students should be given the opportunity to be a part of working toward something they desire and should learn that activism is important and takes a lot of work. But not only do we need groups fighting for our causes, but we need individuals.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I totally agree!!! I mean, getting into the Council as a Youth Representative would be a good start but there are so many rungs of the ladder to climb before even that step and the truth of the matter is, government departments are complex!!! I have however, recently discovered newsletters (email) and updates so that I know about committee meetings and changes to the city for Auckland - so I am glad about that. But really, it is a bit intimidating to show up to the meetings.... still, they post their agendas and minutes online, which I think is quite good. Surely your local government would have the same type of thing? I am not sure - but it would be worth finding out!! Maybe secondary schools (high school) could start a club about the student voice in local government.. I don't know what you could call it.. Govoc? Hahahah I don't know.
Yeah, I guess we have groups that go to the state government to observe and help out with representatives. And we have student government that acts as a way of showing the students how government works. But it's all just an opportunity for students who are interested. Never are ALL students taught to be more involved in telling their government what they want.
Still, good ideas. Thanks for the input.
Post a Comment