By Caroline Jenkins, Staff Writer
There are 10,270,000 people currently residing in North Carolina. Of those, only 4.7 million voted in the 2016 presidential election. In a world in which the voice of the younger generation has begun to dominate that of the older, it is essential to make your voice heard now.
Voting may seem like a small and insignificant step in making your voice heard, but in reality, your vote is monumental in determining the voice of the future and the people who will make important choices concerning America moving forward. It is us: the teenagers straight out of high school, the pre-college, ambitious 18-year-olds, the young and exuberant kids who have the most say in how we want the country run and what changes need to be made moving forward.
Take the recent debate on gun control. The youth of America spoke up and spoke loud about the mass shooting of 17 in Parkland, Florida. It is hard to imagine the change just a singular voice can have, yet when you look at what impact those small voices had, it is easier to understand the importance of voicing your opinion and voicing it loud and proud through voting.
In a story recently posted by The Atlantic, Sabrina Fernandez (student body president of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School) spoke her mind about the relentless persistence of the Parkland victims in making a lasting difference:
“But she is no less serious about shaking up the system, and she is crystal clear about the message that she and her fellow survivors want to send political leaders and the public more broadly: ‘That this change will not be pushed to the side. We will not just be another statistic. We will NOT stop until we see change!’ ” Fernandez said in reference to the #NeverAgain charge against mass shootings being undertaken by the students.
Whether it’s starting small in the primaries or voting in the next presidential election, it’s essential that you are choosing who you want to make colossal decisions directly influencing the outcome of impending events.
It is the responsibility of all Americans to register to vote, get informed on their politicians, be aware of the social issues, research prior to voting, and then to go out and VOTE. Get registered and vote because you want to incite change, vote because you feel strongly about a particular issue, vote because it directly affects you, vote because you want to have a say in who will decide your future.
To find more information on voting within North Carolina visit: https://www.ncsbe.gov/Voting-Options/Voting-in-North-Carolina
https://www.ncsbe.gov/index.html
http://www.ncvoter.org/voting-in-nc/
Junior Caroline Jenkins can be reached at [email protected].
