Election – Teen Observer Archive

June 27, 2019June 28, 2019

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

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.

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 #climatechange at the #DemocraticDebates underscores the need for a separate debate on the issue.”

climate tweet — 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.”

July 11, 2018July 11, 2018

Political divide widens as teenagers ready for first vote in November

A donkey representing the Democratic party stands outside the School of Public Affairs at American University. Photo by Nina Khoshkish.

Metropolitan Washington, D.C. residents said that partisan politics is worse than they can remember, claiming the people are polarized and many are still dealing with the aftermath of the controversial and bitter 2016 Presidential election.

Michael Dahan, 50, who lives in Gaithersburg, Maryland, is a registered Democrat because of that party’s position regarding protecting the weakest in society, he said in a recent interview.

Dahan disagrees with the current government’s positions on most issues, because he fears that democracy is being “eroded away.”

“I believe the path to an authoritarian government is very short,” Dahan said.

The positive, as Dahan sees it, is his party being “re-energized.”

Another interviewee, Redmond Walsh, 58, also believes that Democrats are “amped up” and said he thinks even Republicans are showing signs of Trump fatigue.

“They got their win in 2016, and now they’re ashamed of what they have,” Walsh said. “They’re ashamed of Trump, so they’re keeping quiet.”

Nonetheless, still the divide between Republicans and Democrats appears to be widening, according to interviews done this week and a Pew Research Center report.

According to a study at Pew Research Center, divides in politics are bigger now than at any point in the last two decades.

Erin Fardshisheh, 34, believes that the divide America is dealing with today is thanks to “the silent majority.”

“I think people still talk politics, but mostly within their own echo chambers,” Fardshisheh said. “And that breeds cultural humiliation. It hardens people and their political views, and it’s precisely how we ended up here.”

This divide is also affecting younger generations and many interviewed this week said they wonder if they’ll be able to bridge the gap.

Joseph Grandison, 20, said he has not been keeping up with politics or watching the news lately.

“I want to enjoy myself,” Grandison said. “Watching today’s news does the opposite for me.”

Many under the age of 25 will stop at nothing to get involved and take matters into their own hands, especially when they have faced real-life violence and social upheaval.

For Ryan Foster, 2018 marks his first eligible election. And the Rhode Island resident said he isn’t going to miss a chance to cast his vote during what many said regardless of party was such a crucial time for the country.

“I’m excited to be able to contribute my part in our country’s political scene,” said Foster, 17. “I hope that a lot of other kids my age feel the same way. I know many who won’t be voting to avoid the controversy, but their votes are what we need to bring back balance.”

Some of these divides are also present within parties as well.

Foster believes that the Democratic party “has some unrest and divide in it, especially with individuals who are registered Democratic but are more Libertarian or centrist.”

“The GOP has lost itself and is now a host body being inhabited by a parasitic organism, something that is not authentic Conservatism. What’s going to happen next is the far left will respond to the parasite by destroying its own left-centrists,” Fardshisheh said. “It’s incredibly important that we do not let that happen.”

With midterms coming up, Fardshisheh believes that the “RESIST” mindset needs to be forgotten, and that those who really want to resist need to “get out, grab four friends and start knocking on doors for the 2018 midterms.”

June 26, 2018June 27, 2018

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.

twitter teigen — 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.”

July 20, 2017July 20, 2017

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.”

July 20, 2017July 20, 2017

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.

July 6, 2017July 10, 2017

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.