I know that any adult who sees this title will automatically assume that teenagers cannot know anything about politics since they are not in the real world yet. This is simply untrue. We may not be living on our own with our own job, bills to pay, mouths to feed, but we are certainly in the real world. Is our school and home and part time job not part of the real world? How is our world different from the 'real' world? We know the hardships that go on, the struggles out there, even if we are not experiencing them first hand. And, if we do happen to be experiencing them, we are met with the phrase "someone else out there has it worse than you". So how can we even be sure what the 'real' world is, when nothing we do is part of it? Let us just take a moment and imagine that teenagers do live in the 'real' world, whatever that is, exactly, and that they have valid opinions and views, which we all know is absolutely absurd. Once you have that image and mindset, you may begin to read this post, which otherwise will contain no relevance, because you will be stuck in your 'real' world and I will be in my not-so-real world.
Having turned eighteen over two months ago, I now have the opportunity to vote in the upcoming elections. I find this extremely exciting, as I will be making a difference in the world, and my opinions will be heard and counted as relevant for once. Although, when I discuss with adults my opinions and political views, I am met with sneers and laughter, because the thought of someone under the age of 30 with a political view and set opinion is completely absurd, since they don't know anything (I will not even begin to get into the idiocy of this, as it will completely take over the subject matter of this post, as the first paragraph already partially did). Because I can now vote, and have very strong opinions on certain political matters, I decided to take to my little blog with the few people that read it, mostly my mother and best friend at this point, and throw ideas out into the world. So, without further ado, I will tell you some of the most important issues on my mind this election season.
Equality
"Of course," you say. "a young teenager is going to go on a rant about equality. How typical." Yes, I am, and yes, it may seem typical, but that is because it is one of the most talked about, and most controversial issues that is circulating today. The issue of equality, for me, is the most important one, and it is not just about gender and sexual equality. Well, at least not entirely. I do believe that gay marriage should be legalized, but I do not think that religious beliefs and customs should be compromised. For example, an LDS church should not be forced to marry a gay couple in their temple since that is against their religion. That would infringe on Freedom of Religion in this country. But I do not think that the church should say that a monogamous couple cannot get married, simply because they are of the same sex. I am a Christian, but I do not consider myself a religious person (an explanation of which is sure to come in a post in the future), and I believe that so long as the couple is monogamous, they should be allowed to get married. What is the big deal here? They are not hurting anyone, and it isn't going to affect your lifestyle in any way. But that is not the only equality I care about. I believe that all people should be equal. All races, religions, genders, sexualities, social classes, age groups, demographics, etc. should be equal. Just because someone is different than you and sins differently than you does not mean they are worse than you, or deserve to be treated less than you are. Equality will not come swiftly; it will take a long time, and we are only at the beginning. We are still combating racism to this day, and it was 'abolished' decades ago. It could take hundreds, maybe even thousands of years for equality to become the norm in our world. But that does not mean we shouldn't start to try and correct what we are doing wrong.
Guns
The second thing on my list, is guns. I am Pro-Guns. I believe that guns are a great way to defend yourself, and they should not be banned. The restrictions on their use is already very strict, so tightening those regulations will not do anything. People will still buy them and use them incorrectly. Instead, we should do background tests on people looking to buy guns, and if anything seems off, they should be subjected to a psychiatric evaluation to determine if they are mentally stable enough to own and operate a gun. There should also be a gun safety class that you are required to take before you are allowed to carry a gun, and in that class you should have to take a test at the end to determine if you know how to safely handle a gun. Anyone who does not pass any of the above will not be allowed to own a gun, or will have their gun license revoked. It is not the guns that are the issue, it is the people that are holding the guns. Their mental instability is what causes them to go on shooting rampages, not the gun itself. Once we realize this, and once we get past our fear of an item that is our best protection, we can begin to combat the misuse of the wonder invention that is firearms.
Education
I know I already did a huge rant on this topic, so I will not divulge too much into the matter, but there were a few things I decided to not touch on in that post that I will here. There are programs being cut from schools due to budget cuts, and over-spending in the athletics that are important to balance out students' studies and create well-rounded adults. The number one program being cut is the arts. This includes dance, choir, theatre, band, and the drawing and sculpting classes. I have found that students who take an art class, whether it be a performing or visual art, are usually more self confident and self assured, and tend to be less shy than those who do not. I know that I have not done a scientific study, but this is from a students perspective. The arts should not be cut from the school. The spending in the athletic department is, at least in my state, completely out of control. There are thousands of dollars being used to update the gymnasium and the football fields, but the dance and theatre rooms are way out of date, and the stage is missing lights, the curtains haven't been washed in years, and everything is just getting dingy and really needs to be updated. There is no need for top of the line everything when it comes to sports, or the arts, for that matter. The funds for programs needs to be more evenly distributed according to needs.
Immigration
The last topic I will touch on is immigration. Since I live in Arizona, I know how controversial the subject of immigration is. Some people think the measures in place are too tough, some thing they are too soft. I believe that we need to bulk up security on the border, since there are officers dying every year from immigrants trying to cross the border, and drug cartels shooting them down. There are more illegal immigrants coming in than regular immigrants. I believe we need to crack down on those immigrants that are already here in America. They should not be allowed to vote, to go to school for free, to even live in this country after they are discovered. I realize life where you come from may not be the best, but you need to follow the process, come here legally, be a citizen of the United States. If you aren't, it is my opinion that you should be deported, and not allowed to apply for citizenship for 1-5 years, depending on the severity of the offense. This may not be the popular opinion, but I have never really followed the crowd on anything.
I realize my rants are quite lengthy, and I did not even touch on other subjects I feel strongly about, so I will quickly just list some of my opinions. I am pro-life. I am for the death penalty. I believe the government should not give out food stamps and financial aid to just anyone. I believe able-bodied adults on medicaid should be required to work. I do not believe that being overweight is a disability.
And with that, I will end this post. Thank you for taking the time to read. I know not a lot of people will agree with my opinions, and that is okay, since they are my opinions and not yours. You are allowed to have different opinions than me. That is the beauty of this country, the freedom to have your own thoughts and ideas and opinions.
Thank you for putting up with me.
