Young people, take your country back.

[zeemike]

I was watching this...
http://new.livestream.com/accounts/124908/events/3536523

And it occurred to me that it is up to the young people now...we have failed and we must admit it and step out of the way and follow the young not try to lead them.
It will take a whole generation to change this and most of us hear I think will not be alive then...it is they young people's world to inherit, and we have left them an inherit of fear and conflict.

So I supported OWS and I will support these young people...even if just by saying it.

[msongs]

1. they are too busy texting on their cellphones to vote lol nt

[zeemike]

3. That is THERE way of communicating among themselves.

And we don't have to do that, just admire the fact that they are moving away from our old ways...and I think that is a good thing.

[Iris]

31. just throwing everything out without some thought is a good thing?

We're not talking early adopters of technology here. We're talking about consumers who live in filter bubbles and are being targeted relentlessly by marketing campaigns. They aren't making decisions about what to keep and what to throw away; they are simply consuming whatever is put in front of them.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

19. Sports. Social media. Comic book movies. Reality TV. YouTube videos.

I work on a large team in a healthcare setting and the young'uns are GLUED to their smartphones every chance they get. I asked a handful of the 20-somethings today about voting, and they didn't bother. One early 30s dude, a recent Jersey transplant, voted for Tillis (R) because Hagan (D) spent "$100 million on ads." One guy in his mid-30s has never voted, and he's proud of it. Total good ol' boy, who, oddly (or not so oddly), supports marriage equality and legalization. Hagan could have used his vote.

Not too long ago there was a raucous age war on DU. "The youth are gonna rise!" Ha. Guess again.

[zeemike]

36. You do know that the youth could complain about the old in the same way

By finding examples of old people doing what seems to them to be nut stuff.

But it does point out how easy it is divide us up...old against young is just another division.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

41. Let 'em complain. At least the old farts are voting.

(I say that as I'm sliding out of middle age into old farthood...)

[gordianot]

2. Good luck on finding a job after College.

[zeemike]

5. Actually that is an interesting comment.

Fear is what it is about...fear of the social stigma that makes you work flipping burgers instead of a nice corporate job...Fear is a powerful tool..

[countryjake]

4. Yes, just watching so many of them today gives me hope...

I love it when common ordinary people actually (and actively) stand up for principles we all should be supporting.

Righteous.

[zeemike]

6. Me too.n/t

[onecaliberal]

7. They couldn't even be bothered to vote yesterday.

Good luck finding a job you can use that shiny new degree in. Better luck paying the mountain of debt it cost to earn it, especially working for minimum wage.

[zeemike]

8. See my reply #5

But now I suppose it was their fault we lost.

[onecaliberal]

9. Anyone who failed to vote

Bears some responsibility. There were many other factors. Please don't make assumptions about my comment. The young people were in good company. Not even 30% of the electorate voted.

[zeemike]

15. It actually does not surprise me so few voted.

They have been pelted with fear and things to be angry about all sumer long...they have tuned it out...and I can't really say I blame them for it.

After a while the adds just start to piss you off.

[onecaliberal]

17. We will see how cons in charge make it all better for them

[WorseBeforeBetter]

18. All summer long? Poor dears. I've been "angry"...

since Dubya. And my middle-aged ass has voted in every election since.

Being pissed off IS a reason to vote.

[zeemike]

21. Then you are not the problem.

But some people react diferent...they tune it out, which may actually be the healthy way to deal with situations that make you angry.

And I can't bring myself to blame them for the mess we are in.

[kiva]

10. First they need to show up to vote.

2012 - 19% of voters were ages 18-29
2014 - 13% of voters were ages 18-29

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/11/05/as-gop-celebrates-win-no-sign-of-narrowing-gender-age-gaps/

Ask yourself how many races Dems lost that could have been won if that 6% has voted this election.

[zeemike]

11. And I would be asking why did they not vote.

Could it be the constant failure of our party to get any real change that was promised?
Don't blame the victim of failure.

[kiva]

12. I agree there has been no real change.

And yet the two oldest demographic groups still turned out to vote. Age discrimination in employment is rampant, but older voters voted. The economy sucks and people on fixed incomes are suffering, but older voters still voted.

And yes, I do blame people of any age who chose not to vote - we lost the Senate because of the "oh, I'm just not into voting this year" crowd; whether you like it or not, a substantial number of those people are young voters.

[zeemike]

13. And if the millions of disenfranchised voters voted it could be deferent.

But there is no one to blame but republicans...the Dems were powerless to stop it so they just ignored it..

It is always their fault that they are disillusioned not the failure of politics.

[treestar]

14. It's not just their country

Especially if they don't bother to vote. If you are old enough to vote, you are old enough to do it without having to be cajoled.

[zeemike]

16. Well they don't count abstaining in an election do they.

But it is a vote never the less...but one we chose to ignore.

[treestar]

33. We don't ignore, it, they do

Why am I responsible for other adults voting? I can do it without having to be cajoled. Who the fuck are these people that they expect that? And all they did was take themselves out of the picture and let Republicans rule them (or the Democrats they claim are the same).

[zeemike]

37. No we ignore it...pretend people not voting are not saying anything.

But if you are given two choices, one a R that promises to destroy the whole country, and a D who will not say so but will do as much as they can to help the Rs do it, who are you going to pick?
Well there is one option if you can't stand being manipulated and that is to abstain from voteing...your only option when faced with having to support two wrongs.

[Spazito]

20. First thing they need to learn is how their own political system works...

showing up every 4 years, if they even do that, doesn't cut it. The Presidency doesn't hold the power, Congress does and key elections for the House and Senate happen every two years NOT just every 4 years.

[zeemike]

22. So you think it is due to ignorance.

Well I don't...can't believe that anyone does not know that we have elections every two years...they know, they just don't want to vote for something that will change nothing...and are not afraid of the boogie man other party.

[Spazito]

23. No, ignorance, true ignorance, would be more excusable than deliberate...

apathy because the work to learn how to change the system is, well, too hard. It would take time away from the all important tweet or Facebook post and we can't have that, can we. The youth who couldn't be bothered to vote aren't interested in change, they want what they want given to them in a gift-wrapped package delivered to their door preferably by an Amazon drone, that is what they consider 'work for change', sadly.

[zeemike]

25. that is a pretty negative view of young people.

One that I do not share.
But yes there are ignorant young, just as there are ignorant old but if you judge them all by that yardstick then you judge yourself as well.

But lets face the facts...we have offered them nothing but chaos in the world and we blame them?
Because if they had just voted things would be diferent?...did we not do that in 08 and nothing changed?...and we expect them to keep voting for why?

[JI7]

24. they will be lined up to get the latest iphone and during black friday

to get whatever other electronics discounted.

[minivan2]

26. As a young person

I am doing everything I can to get more democrats elected, I am volunteering for the Democratic party, voting in every election. We all don't sit on our phones and text all day.

[zeemike]

27. Well I never said they did.

But that is what I was told several times in this thred...in fact it was the main complaint given against them.

[Iris]

32. No.you are absolutely correct.

in every generation there are people who care deeply, think about the world and their place in it, and who act accordingly. And they are often in the minority.

I object to the suggestion that that a whole generation is special because they have access to more technology. It's a disservice to people like you who are exceptional.

Thanks for fighting the good fight. We need you. A lot of us are getting tired.

[treestar]

34. good for you and thank you.

That idea that you do not care and we have to get you to go out and vote is more than insulting to you.

I was able to get myself out there to vote as soon as I was old enough without having to be cajoled, and so are you.

[WestCoastLib]

28. Old people...stop voting for republicans

Note- as a gen Xer, i no longer fall into either demographic, but it strikes me as odd that there is such an attempt to "blame" the youth when it's the elderly voting for the bad guys.

[zeemike]

29. It is only natural that we deny being the cause of the problem

At least some of us do...but we need a scapegoat and it was their turn.

[Last_Stand]

30. I was a young person in 1992 when I started voting...

and not a goddamn thing has changed since.

When I was young I had a fire in my belly that I thought could change the world...instead I burnt myself out. Best of luck to the next generation.

[zeemike]

39. I was a young person in 1964

And like you nothing has changed.
And I burnt myself out too...but not so much that I can't support the young people who still have that fire.

[TBF]

35. They started with Occupy -

finally someone talking about CLASS again.

Time for Par Deux - and it needs to be much more disciplined and militant.

[nc4bo]

38. +1. nt

[zeemike]

40. And that class thing is scary to the political elite.

Sense most of their money comes from the top and they try not to offend and mess with that stream of money.
And I welcome Par Deux.