When political momentum for progress becomes stale
It doesn’t make much sense for one of your friends to make plans for the entire group, then not be around to see those plans through. It’s annoying when the consensus of the group would have gone with something different without that person anyway.
Yet that is exactly what politicians tend to do and how legislation appears to work to a degree. Call it a legacy or whatever you want, but the fact is many politicians are quite a bit older than the average population they represent. There appears to be an obsession with power, an obsession with keeping things exactly the way they are.
A lot of politicians are older, with some bordering on being elderly. That is a fact. Two United States senators are 88 years old: Dianne Feinstein from California and Charles Grassley from Iowa. Thirty members of the Senate are in their seventies. Many high-ranking politicians have had long political careers, so it would make sense they would be older, with extensive backing from supporters in their regions. As a side effect, many have extensive fortunes to fund their political campaigns.
It is not an issue that politicians are old, but when the average American is 38 years old, it brings into question who exactly is being represented here.
One key issue that illustrates this is the issue of legalizing cannabis on a federal level. Despite many Americans supporting its legalization — a majority of whom are under the age of 40 and despite their political orientation — it’s still an extremely contentious issue. It probably will be until more people from Generation X are elected into office, at least.
One would be hard-pressed to find anyone from Gen Z who thinks of cannabis negatively. Regardless whether one actually cares for its use, there is a general understanding in my generation of its risks and benefits. It’s not seen as this destructive drug. Perhaps younger generations are more open and discerning due to growing up in an age of information.
Despite well-argued cases that the federal classification of cannabinoids as a Schedule 1 narcotic is baseless, with further argument that the Nixon-era war on drugs was racially and socially motivated to marginalize certain groups, we hold onto old viewpoints through our laws. States have proven the drug can be a stable and positive contribution to society. Colorado has had legal cannabis for 10 years.
Still, our politicians cling onto this fear of change and moving forward. The bill for legalizing cannabis went through the U.S. House by an incredibly close margin. Now, a lot of the issue is some sort of partisan-related idiocy, but I see a bit more of an issue of old beliefs holding back progress.
Older politicians appear to be afraid to change their perspectives and be open to new and different ideas. It is an attitude of constantly
It is not an issue that politicians are old, but when the average American is 38 years old, it brings into question who exactly is being represented here.
saving face and sticking to one’s agenda, even if it is antiquated. Many political careers are based entirely upon drumming up fear about change. It’s destructive and unproductive for our society.
That isn’t right. Perhaps political careers should be shortened, or more younger people should run. Ben Timm is a freshman at the University of Utah. Contact him at monkebusiness@gmail.com.