Young Floridians, make your voices heard at ballot box
In the 1960 presidential election, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon would form one of the youngest pairings of candidates in our nation’s history. While both William Jennings Bryan (beginning in 1896) and George McClellan (in 1864) were younger nominees, both lost their elections to more seasoned politicians.
Kennedy, at 43, and Nixon, at 47, demonstrated what many felt in those days, that it was time for the young voters to step forward, and many believed the 1960 election to be deeply consequential. President Kennedy understood the moment, stating during his inaugural address “Let the word go forth … that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans-born in this century.” In the year 2020, it is time for young voters again.
As a Valencia College professor, I have the privilege of spending month after month with those who become the new iteration of our country, young citizens rising to their role in their communities. Each semester I find my hope restored as I look at amazing young women and men, ready to take on the world.
On the final day of class, I as try to send them forward with a call to civic responsibility, I remind them that the American experiment is not over. In 1776, we embarked on a trial of self-government in a world dominated by political systems of elite rule. I urge my students to recognize that we, the citizens alive now, are the ones wearing the lab coats. For the system of “we the people” to function, the people must actually participate.
On March 17, Floridians will again have an opportunity to play their role. Sure, there are reasons that people may feel skeptical about voting, perhaps even cynical about the process, but I believe in our democratic process. Our experiment is still a worthy one, and still offers hope to the world.
This government “of the people” is just one reason why thousands of people still choose to move to this nation, to be able to play a small role, wearing the lab coat, watching the beakers and the dials, ensuring that the experiment doesn’t fail. So I call upon the citizens of Central Florida to come out to vote, especially if you are under the age of 50. As was true six decades ago, we are now turning to a new, younger generation. Generation X and millennial voters need to take their stand in our historic journey.
Of course, we still want our senior voters to come out, and they do. By some reckonings, as many as 70% of voters over the age of 65 participate. Sadly, often less than 30% of voters younger than 50 do.
On March 17, the date of Florida’s national presidential primary, several of our local cities will have elections as well. Our founders believed that the power of the people should mostly be local, so those municipal elections are perhaps a more vital place for younger voices to be heard.
It is true that nationally we are in the midst of a storm. Often, as I have talked to neighbors or students, it can feel as if this storm could destroy us, our culture, the things we hold dear.
I would counter with a word of hope, echoing President Franklin Roosevelt when he said, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”
Fear of the future does not help us in our thinking as we confront challenges. Instead, we need to embrace youthful bravery to confront that future with an openness that is welcoming, operating with hope rather than out of fear. Contribute your ideas, your voice, to the city where you live by voting for the local races as well as the national contests.
We are always better together as we face any challenge. And “together” requires enthusiastic participation by both young and old. It is time for young citizens to seize this moment, protecting the experiment in self-government, and help us all by coming out to vote.
The author is the chair of the history program on the East Campus of Valencia College and a candidate for Winter Park city commissioner.