The other day, I got a very interesting call from my boyfriend (yes, it’s shockingly true - teens do more than just text!).
“Soo, uh, I just accidentally walked into a meeting for the Young Republicans Club…”
This made me laugh, and I asked him what it was like.
“Basically just a bunch of freshman boys sitting around yelling to build the wall.”

Now, I wasn’t laughing.

Without stating my own political views, the idea of a bunch of fourteen-year-old boys sitting around praising Donald Trump was quite confusing to me. Not specifically because it was Donald Trump, but rather because these boys are not voting in this year’s election, and they were only discussing one single aspect of Trump’s platform. So, is it strange to anyone else that under these circumstances, these teens are willing to sacrifice their free time in order to sit around and “discuss” politics?

If the choice to attend the Young Republicans Club was purely out of political interest and genuine respect for Donald Trump, then I admire their mature decision to spend time talking about such an important matter. However, from my understanding, this club meeting consisted almost entirely of young teenage boys discussing Trump’s well known belief that immigrants should be kicked out of the country. If someone were to ask them to elaborate on The Donald’s views regarding abortion, his ideas on taxation, or how he plans to specifically protect our civil liberties, would they know the answers?

I do not mean any disrespect towards this group of boys or towards any adolescents who profess their political views. In fact, I deeply appreciate any teenager who chooses to be involved in politics; it is necessary for the success of our country. But, I do sincerely hope that teens are making their own, well-informed decisions on political matters. Rather than simply following what their parents believe or what may be “trendy” (“Make America Great Again” bumper stickers are everywhere in my old high school parking lot), I encourage my generation to take just a little bit of time to discover which candidates they truly agree with.

In general, I don’t think that parents purposefully try to force their kids towards certain political views. When teens latch on to their parents’ beliefs, I think a large part of it is due to the fact that it is not uncommon for politics to be discussed quite often throughout a home, and these discussions tend to be from one singular point of view. But, I do think that elections offer a unique opportunity to include the next generation in a very important part of our country.

So I present a challenge to all parents of adolescents: next time that you are discussing politics or the election at home, bring your children into the conversation. Ask them how they personally feel about certain topics, or how they would like aspects of our country to change. By including teenagers in an important conversation, they are able to feel like their opinions actually matter, and they can gain a better understanding of how our country truly can be successful.

Returning to the example of the Young Republicans Club, I would like to propose another alternative for exposing young people to politics. Rather than having high school clubs for specific political parties, would it not be more beneficial to simply have a Young Politician’s Club? This way, students would have the opportunity to learn about every candidate involved and make their own personal decisions about how they feel. This would create a safe space for teens to ask questions, propose ideas, and make connections all centered around politics.

Any student with a genuine interest in America’s political environment deserves the opportunity to be exposed to every candidate and position of an election, and it is not fair to the next generation to only be offered one side of a much larger debate. After all, if teens are the future of the country, shouldn’t they know what sort of future they’re heading into?