Generation Next
Much discussion at today's monthly meeting centered on attracting youth to the group.
Considering the age range in the room, attracting youth seems like a good idea.
But is it a good use of your limited resources? Someone should maybe do the math. Here is some data that suggests young people might not be important.
Only 11% of registered voters in a NorthCarolina study are 'GenNext' ie 18-25 yr olds. Only 6% turned out to vote.
35% of the 6% are Republicans, and 48% are Democrats.
That's not many voters to worry about, is it?
http://www.jwpcivitasinstitute.org/media/publication-archive/perspective...
http://people-press.org/report/300/a-portrait-of-generation-next
I know you're going to say that young people went out to vote for Obama. There is a good argument that they won't bother to vote again for awhile. Because they are disappointed that Obama didn't go as far left as they hoped, and because they don't have jobs. More research might verify that theory.
It is not just about voting. To restore Constitutional wisdom is going to take beyond my lifetime (61). I see now that my public education was lacking in gaining an understanding of the American philosophy as written by the Founders. It is my duty to now correct that with my own grown children.
I want them to see that they must continue on when I am gone. It is their American heritage. I see this as no less than our own fight for Civil Rights as the one freed slaves carried on for 100 years as led by MLK. As a group, part of what we must do is that those who are active must make the changes we can every 2 or 4 years. We must start the process and secure the foundation for a return to a Republic. The other thing we must do individually and continually is inform all those who aren't active, regardless of age, what the Founders intended for our Country, and that there is no human system better.
When these inactive become active or vote, we want to make sure they vote the correct way. The way laid out by the Constitution.
Dave,
I couldn't agree with you more. I hate to refer to it this way, but we are fighting a battle of ideals. Libs and Progressives have been winning the youth for years, and we need to fight back, because like you said, when they become active, we need them voting for principles, not touchy feely legislation. I am 26 and want to slap everyone my age, send them on a crash course on the constitution and make them wake up. Teaching the truth to the youth is important, once we lose freedom, how long would it take to get it back? I am not willing to lose my freedom to make a few people feel better about themselves.
Lee, I can certainly understand how you could reach this conclusion based on the statistics you cite. I mean no offense to you or anyone else here. That said, I think this is shortsighted. It's a classic illustration of the biggest failure of American conservatism.
To put it succinctly, the conservative side plans and executes in terms of election cycles while the left plans in terms of generations. The conservative movement targets today's voters (like you seem to suggest). The left targets tomorrow's voters. Sure, perhaps 94% of the youth failed to vote this time around. How many of them will vote in future elections? Meanwhile, what is shaping their worldview and ideology? Lenin is quoted as saying, "Give me just one generation of youth, and I'll transform the whole world." If you look at the last 50 years and America's drift away from our Constitution, who's winning?
By the way, guess what I was taught (directly and literally) in public high school? "The GOP is the party of big business and robber barons while the DNC is the party of the free individual. A major factor in the Great Depression was 'mal-distribution of wealth,' and the Iron Curtain and cold war were merely defensive responses to American aggression." That was in the mid-1980's...in a small town...in a deeply conservative state...with no alternate opinion! What's it like for a kid today?
We who understand that our constitution is the greatest source of sustained liberty, opportunity, and peace must wake up and begin communicating this effectively, especially to young people. Unfortunately, to paraphrase Dennis Prager, "there are two parties in America: the dangerous party and the stupid party. I choose to belong to the stupid party."