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Climate change ‘urgent’ issue for Gen Z voters in 2020

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Generation Z–those born between 1997 and 2012–voters interviewed this month in Washington, D.C. said climate change is the single biggest issue that will decide their votes in the 2020 election.

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Climate activists spoke at American University on June 20. (Photo by Natalia Cano)

The older members of Generation Z cast 4.5 million ballots in the 2018 midterm election, representing 4% of all votes, according to the Pew Research Center. By 2020, their impact could be even more powerful, when they are projected to comprise 10% of eligible voters.

“It’s time to wake up,” Ryan Cullen Barto, 20, said of younger generations facing the 2020 election.

These young voices see the upcoming election as an opportunity for change, and climate change is something they see as urgent.

Nadia Nazar, the 17-year-old co-founder of thisiszerohour.org, is very passionate about encouraging Gen Z to use their power to vote next year. She wants a great president, but also someone who will be a leader on climate change, and she believes young people need to understand what’s at stake.

“You’re voting for your life and for the sake of this country,” said Nazar, who lives in Baltimore. It “is important for our generation.”

Citizens Climate Lobby, a grassroots environmental organization, tweeted Thursday morning, the day after the first Democratic Presidential primary debate, that: “Last night’s disappointing treatment of at the underscores the need for a separate debate on the issue.”

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A grassroots environmental organization wants a separate debate dedicated to climate change. (Photo courtesy of Twitter)

Meanwhile, younger citizens who still will be too young to cast a ballot next year say when they can vote, climate change is their main and overarching concern.

Not being able to vote next year, Annelise Bittenbender, 16, from Leesburg, Virginia, worries that her voice won’t be heard.

“I think it could potentially make or break the rest of what’s going to go on in the world,” Bittenbender said of climate change.

“This election could potentially make or break our earth so me not being able to vote stresses me out ’cause I just wanna try to help as much as I can but not actually having a say is difficult,” Bittenbender continued.

The scientific community agrees overwhelmingly “climate change is real,” according to one statement on the NASA website.

Among those statements, the American Geophysical Union wrote: “Human‐induced climate change requires urgent action. Humanity is the major influence on the global climate change observed over the past 50 years. Rapid societal responses can significantly lessen negative outcomes.”

Generation Z’s youngest members may not be able to vote next year, but they already are organizing and fighting to be heard about climate change.

Ethan Vandivier, 13, already is an advisory board member for Young Voice for the Planet. He spoke on a panel at American University on June 20, noting that the next election is going to determine not just leadership, but will frame debates and policy solutions for climate change.

“For new people who are trying to get involved, voting is very important,” Vandivier said. “That’s how you start. That’s where you start.”

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As 2020 election nears, some disengage while others double down

Personal attacks, perceived unreliable media coverage and politicians’ extreme partisan division all are driving both experienced and new voters to steer clear of politics all together or get more engaged as the 2020 election nears.

That is according to several interviews conducted this month in the northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C.

A common belief among older voters is that news has become a place of bullying and bashing rather than a place to get information.

Shawn Bates, 46, described political conversation as, “far more toxic, deeply partisan, and personal.”

Jackie Martinez, 19, an American University student from Chicago, considers voting in the United States a privilege because she knows so many people from other countries who didn’t have that right. But, she also thinks political polarization is causing a more radicalized electorate, and said even infighting within political parties is shifting people’s viewpoints and making it harder to find common ground.

“It has changed a lot,” Martinez said of the political landscape. “It’s more about good and bad and no compromise.”

Several voters interviewed on American University’s campus and in the Tenleytown neighborhood of the district, agree that politics is a kind of war zone between political parties.

Two newspaper stands in Washington, D.C.’s Tenleytown neighborhood. (Photo by Drew Scheimer)

Behzad Jalali, 65, was born in Iran and believes political participation is “very important.” He has been in the United States for more than 40 years, and he has witnessed a huge shift in political polarization.

The deep polarization between parties is causing some young voters to disengage.

“I knew voting was important but I wasn’t in to it,” said Sarah Sleiman, 22.

Sleiman said she gets her news from Twitter, which seems to be a common source among young voters.

Rashard Flowers, 34, who was waiting for a car to pick him up in Tenleytown, said polarization is affecting all Americans.

“Everyone is okay with people disagreeing,” Flowers said. “People want someone who can satisfy both sides.”

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Celebrity influence powerful for some people’s politics

WASHINGTON, D.C.–Many teenagers and adults studying or working at American University this summer believe that celebrities have significant influence in shaping people’s political views, although research shows many young people are influenced by factors outside of star power.

Social media platforms including Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat have propelled celebrities’ status and many are opting to share their views on topics including immigration, elections, drug offenses and the prison system.

People like 16-year-old Nei Boney are paying attention.

“If it’s somebody I respect, I will consider their opinions,” said Boney, who considers herself a frequent social media user.

Boney, who said she uses social media frequently, often finds herself pinpointing celebrities’ talents like acting or photography before looking at the politics. Jaden Smith and Cole Sprouse make her list as influential.

This month, model Chrissy Teigen and singer husband John Legend used the social media platform Twitter to encourage fans to donate money to the American Civil Liberties Union to fight President Donald Trump’s new immigration policy separating children and families at the border.

The celebrity couple donated $72,000 for each member of their family in honor of Trump’s 72nd birthday, and urged followers to give what they could whether that was $7.20 or $720. That started a social media firestorm. It was retweeted 94,000 times and liked 414,000 times as of Tuesday.

On June 16, Teigen tweeted stating that 20,000 people had donated to the ACLU, raising more than $1 million.

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Chrissy Teigen tweeted on June 14 urging people to donate to the ACLU.

Teigen, Legend, Smith, and Sprouse are just some of the names that make a political splash on Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat.

People like Boney listen to celebrities because they respect them, while other’s like Marie Rose Belding, 22, respect people based on their policies and characteristics rather than just their fame.

“They need the brains to back it up,” Belding said.

Cory Booker, Michelle Obama, and Hillary Clinton were just some of the people she found herself often looking at when scrolling through Twitter.  She stated these people needed to be “well rounded.”

Kim Kardashian West, who often uses her social media platforms to discuss her television show or items she’s promoting, successfully advocated for the prison release of 63-year-old great grandmother Alice Marie Johnson, according to West’s website.

West retweeted in October information about Johnson’s incarceration, saying “This is so unfair.”

That tweet was liked 30,652 times and retweeted 6,383 times as of Tuesday.

When discussing Johnson’s prison release Belding said she found it wonderful that a powerful celebrity such as West could use her influence in a beneficial way.

Research from Valerie R O’Regan, of California State University, concluded: “The research finds that young adults are more likely to listen to individuals other than celebrities for their own political information.”

Sara Beightol often finds herself gravitating towards people on her social media accounts who agree with her values.  These people include two powerful Christian pastors: John Piper and Jonathan Leeman.

Others like Beightol, 26, and Jasmine Ellison, 20, fear the power celebrities have in the political world.

“That’s scary,” Beightol said. “That Kim Kardashian West has that much power.”

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Residents react to press sec asked to leave Virginia restaurant

Washington, D.C. residents reacted this week to the news that Republican Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked to leave a Virginia restaurant.

Maria Sevilla, 47, works at NBC Universal and found Sanders being kicked out of the restaurant a horrible business call.

“They [employees and owners] know it is a customer service environment,” said Sevilla, who thinks everyone should be provided a service and that personal matters like politics should be kept out of the restaurant.

Sevilla was not the only person passionate about this topic.

Damon Warren, 53, felt like the owner had every right to kick out Sanders, and he said he would have done the same thing.

“Not cool,” Warren said about her conservative politics and went so far as to call her “prejudiced.”

“I would have said we were full,” Warren continued.

President Donald Trump posted a statement on Twitter attacking the restaurant’s exterior and interior state. Trump stated the restaurant should work more on its “paint job” rather than not giving service to people like Sanders.

 

 

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Trust in the media plummets

Jessica Himelfarb is wary of the state of the news media.

She said in a recent interview at American University that amidst the publicity of fake news, she doesn’t trust the media to give her accurate information and inform her fully about what’s going on.

“It’s brought to the awareness of everyone the pervasiveness of fake news and inaccurate information and how politicians and journalists and news companies are making a profit in the United States, so they’re trying to sell a story instead of trying to get it right,” Himelfarb said.

Jessica Himelfarb at American University in July. By Courtney Cohn.

Himelfarb is not alone, as many people are skeptical of what they hear and see in the news especially after the 2016 election.

With claims of fake news being presented daily–even by President Donald Trump–the media is under more scrutiny than ever before and many people now believe that they can’t rely on the news sources they’ve always followed to get their news.

This affects how much people trust their news sources to give them the accurate, unbiased information they’re seeking.

According to a 2016 Gallup Poll, “Americans’ trust and confidence in the mass media “to report the news fully, accurately and fairly” has dropped to its lowest level in Gallup polling history, with 32% saying they have a great deal or fair amount of trust in the media. This is down eight percentage points from last year.”

As trust in the media plummets, the belief that the media should be investigating government officials remains a common idea for many Americans.

However, many people’s skepticism of the media urges them to believe that bias doesn’t allow for thorough investigations.

James Valentine, 71, wants the media to look into investigations to hold government officials accountable, but if they project bias into the news, then the investigations will not be very beneficial.

“If they just investigate them and let the facts dictate where they went, that’s what they should be doing, but if you investigate from the standpoint that you have a pre-perceived notion, it doesn’t do much good,” Valentine said.

Even though many people’s faith in the media has decreased in the last year, there are some exceptions to this trend.

Also according to a Gallup poll, Americans over the age of 50 are more likely to trust the media than people under 50 years old.

Alicia Rockmore, 52, trusts the media more with all of the news on the Trump administration’s involvement with Russia.

“I feel more of a need to defend the media because they are actually the ones that are telling the truth,” Rockmore said. “To me they’re the heroes, they’re the ones that are digging out information that we need to know.” 

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Americans weigh in on Trump…so far

If Gary Bochner could go back in time, he’d do November differently.

Bochner, 58, who voted for Donald Trump says that he would vote for another candidate. Bochner says that seeing that President Trump has not done any of the things he promised and has even made enemies with many world leaders, he is rethinking his vote.

“At the time, I was unemployed and the idea that he was going to ‘Make America Great Again’ and give jobs back to Americans really appealed to me,” Bochner said.

Sarah Yu said she is feeling frustrated and angry about the Trump Administration. By Vicky Tan

As President Trump nears the six month mark of his time in office, his approval ratings continue to drop, even those like Bochner who voted for him in the 2016 election are unhappy with how he has used his power so far.

According to the Gallup Daily, only 39 percent of Americans support the Trump Administration.

Among other District of Columbia residents, many believe that the Trump Administration is actually hurting the country.

Interviews done this week at American University and in Dupont Circle showed that many people had a range of issues they said were important. Those included: the environment, tax reform, relations with other nations, immigration policy reform and improving healthcare.

Eric Pullman, 17, said that Trump has disappointed the country in how he’s handled all of those substantial issues. And, Pullman said, he thinks racism also has gotten worse.

“His drastic actions hurt us all as Americans,” Pullman said. “This is not what we stand for. If Trump is to win a second term in office, I am not sure the county will be able to bounce back from it. The United States has become a laughing stock.”

As a Jewish-American living in the Bible Belt of the United States, Pullman has grown accustomed to weird looks.

“I am proud of my religion,” said Pullman, who is from Alabama, and was visiting Washington, D.C. to visit colleges. “Their stares cannot hurt me. I will not be ashamed of who I am.”

However, for Pullman’s Muslim neighbors, it is not just stares. He says that since Trump has taken office, discrimination has gotten worse.

“Their eldest daughter and I will sometimes walk to school together. One morning, somebody rode by on a bike and pulled off her hijab while yelling about how Trump would make America great again. As a Jewish-American, I feel the need to stand against actions like this,” Pullman said.

 

 

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Fake news gets real attention at Newseum lecture

Fake news is a real problem.

On Wednesday, Jessi Hollis McCarthy held a workshop at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. where she educated young students and aspiring journalists how to detect, process, and understand fake news.

McCarthy said fake news is often used as a “political tool,” and it’s also published for entertainment and advertising purposes. But many times news dubbed as “fake” is actually flawed or biased.

“Biased news is not fake news,” McCarthy said. “Flawed news is not fake news.”

Although fake news is a topic that has become significantly more transparent as Donald Trump has taken office, the spread of false information through news platforms is a problem that has existed long before Trump’s administration.

“Donald Trump is not the first president to have an interesting relationship with the press,” McCarthy said.

She mentioned Theodore Roosevelt’s Muckraker Speech in 1906, where he cautioned the public against media that spreads lies about politicians and public figures.

Jessi Hollis McCarthy lecturing students on fake news. By Gabe Ferris.

According to McCarthy, fake news has been around long before the 2016 Presidential election because the First Amendment “protects” fake news, which makes it difficult to regulate.

The Constitution states, “Congress shall make no law… prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom… of the press…”

“The First Amendment is constantly interpreted to have breathing room,” McCarthy said. The press has the freedom to publish anything, despite fabrication.

The only thing the public can do is learn how to properly identify fake, flawed, or biased news by fact checking evidence, researching sources, and taking the time to “dive a little deeper.”

To fact check news articles, use the websites below:

www.snopes.com

www.factcheck.org

www.politifact.com

www.hoax-slayer.com

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White nationalists’ behavior impacts D.C. residents

Supporter of the alt-right at a protest condemning same-sex marriage https://www.pexels.com/photo/alt-right-367032/

Members of the diverse community in northwest D.C. experience the effects of the president Trump’s rhetoric. They noticed an increase in tension regarding current politics after the 2016 election cycle.

Over the last two years, Donald Trump and alt-right movement have brought white nationalism to the mainstream American audience, research shows.

New Nationalism is the name being used for white nationalist groups, mostly from the far right. In recent years, the messages these groups spread have had a large influence in American politics, but the impact on the people is often not discussed.

“There’s a lot of hate now,” Eddie Malihi, 48, said about the emotions after the 2016 election.

Many share Malihi’s observations about the increase in hate. Hate incidents have been increasingly common in the time after Nov. 6, 2016.

The Southern Poverty Law Center documented 867 bias-related incidents in the first ten days after Trump’s election. This included anti-Immigrant, anti-Muslim, homophobic and racist actions by supporters of Trump’s messages during the campaign cycle.

“We’re becoming more accepting of the racism and hate in our country,” Hannah Christie, 17, said about the direction the U.S. seems to be heading.

Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric was a prominent factor in the 2016 campaign cycle and a deciding factor for many voters. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s annual report, the anger over Muslim citizens resulted in a 190 percent increase in the number of anti-Muslim hate groups since 2015. This is a result of the Donald Trump campaign and election.

In response to the rise of hateful actions and speech, citizens have taken to the streets to show their discontent. There has been an influx of protests, marches and demonstrations to illustrate these feelings. On January 21, five million people across all seven continents, came together to march for human rights and representation. Earth Day, April 22, also saw the March for Science. Over one million people marched in order to display the importance of science in everyday life.

Even though there has been a increase in white nationalism and hate groups, many are hopeful of the future after the Trump administration.

“Once we have the right person in office we can start to rebuild and grow,” Malihi said.

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Immigration, equality top political issues at Pier 39

SAN FRANCISCO — The Teen Observer asked people at Pier 39 in San Francisco on Monday to write down the most important issue to them in the 2016 Presidential Election. Answers ranged from education to immigration and the war on drugs.

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Bay area resident Chris Whitlock prioritizes the environment. He said, “some people are saying that it’s too late, but if our lives are in jeopardy, it’s the most important thing.” Photo by Victoria Shirley

 

 

 

 

 

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Dani Whitlock spoke to how equality is important for all, mentioning the LGBT community, women and minorities. She said, “We should be leveling the playing field, not sweeping this under the rug.” Photo by Victoria Shirley

 

Alper Sengul, a Turkish airline pilot, is not an American citizen but he keeps track of the election by "following the stupid things 'The Donald' is doing." He is passionate about foreign relations and education. Photo by Victoria Shirley
Alper Sengul, a Turkish airline pilot, is not an American citizen but he keeps track of the election by “following the stupid things ‘The Donald’ is doing.” He is passionate about foreign relations and education. Photo by Victoria Shirley

 

Pheobe Marsh, 18, feels strongly about the war on drugs and is a proponent of legalizing recreational drugs. She said, "I believe it should be legal...What they're doing is ridiculous." Photo by Victoria Shirley
Pheobe Marsh, 18, feels strongly about the war on drugs and is a proponent of legalizing recreational drugs. She said, “I believe it should be legal…What they’re doing is ridiculous.” Photo by Victoria Shirley

 

Danica Sheets says that immigration rights is the most important issue to her. She said, "Immigration into society is important. It shouldn't be a 'you're in the shadows' kind of thing." Photo by Victoria Shirley
Danica Sheets says that immigration rights are the most important issue to her. She said, “Integration into society is important. It shouldn’t be a ‘you’re in the shadows’ kind of thing.” Photo by Victoria Shirley

 

 

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Third party candidates polling highest since 1996

Screen Shot 2016-07-14 at 11.30.10 AMThird party candidates run for the presidency of the United States every four years.

They never win, and likely won’t this year, but a leading polling group on politics found this election cycle has allowed a small breakthrough for third party candidates–they’re polling higher than they have in 20 years–with many American voters unsatisfied with the two major parties.

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Polling data courtesy Quinnipiac University.

A June 29 Quinnipiac University poll, found when likely voters were asked about the possibility of third party leaders, the popularity of the two major party candidates dropped.

“Usually a potential benefit of third party candidates, even if they don’t win, is that they raise issues that are important to some voters, issues that the main parties are not addressing,” said Jan Leighley, a professor of Political Science at American University. “If the third party candidates can get the major parties/candidates to address these issues, that is an important accomplishment, even when they lose.”

Many people would like to see third parties better represented but don’t think they have a chance of getting a sufficient amount of votes.

Philip Herrera, 24, said his positions are closer to those of Green Party candidate Jill Stein, but he will vote for presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in order to prevent a Donald Trump presidency, thinking Stein can’t win and believing there’s no chance for third party candidates in the current political system.

“We would need to rewrite the Constitution,” Herrera said if Americans wanted to get away from a two-party system.

Some Bernie Sanders supporters will cast their votes for Stein over Clinton, according to the Green Party’s website.

Republicans disappointed with Trump are turning to Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson. Johnson’s slogan on his website reads, “Make American Sane Again,” a likely knock on Trump’s platform to “Make America Great Again.”

But despite the messaging of third party candidates, polls show their chances are small.The Quinnipiac poll showed Johnson getting 8 percent of likely voters’ ballots. Although Stein is absent from the ballot in 28 states, the poll showed she would receive 4 percent.

Ross Perot, who was not affiliated with a major party, captured 18.91 percent of the vote in 1992 and 8.4 percent in 1996. Since then, a third party candidate hasn’t garnered the same amount of attention.

In 2012, 1.69 percent of voters opted for third party candidates compared to 1.4 percent in 2008.

This year, third party candidates’ numbers are better but not enough to get people to think they have a shot at the White House.

“Third-party candidates can’t win this election,” said Chris Hartnett, a registered Independent voter who is still undecided about his November choice. “They don’t have name exposure.”

Esmat Hanano, 22, is unsatisfied with this year’s election and said none of the major candidates deserve his support. He has not, however, looked into possible third-party candidates and doesn’t know those candidates by name.

Garrett Schlichte, 21, believed third party candidates should get more attention, but won’t be getting it anytime soon. He said more parties and candidates would provide Americans with “a greater diversity of thought.”

Meg Bentley, 42, the director of biology teaching labs at American University, said the two-party system “just isn’t working.”

Although many students, faculty and staff at the Northwest Washington, D.C. campus, agree that the system could be improved with more visible third-party candidates, some say they’re a long way from taking hold of high office.

“Not anytime soon,” said Anila D’Mello, 26, of their chances.