Think+Smart,+Start+Young


 * Daniel Mambu - Poster**

**Education Proposal - Johniera McClain**

Senior Social Study teachers should have to be required by law to teach about the election and anything that pertains to voting. Similar to the law the Federal Law passed in 2004 that all schools that receives federal funding provide a course to all the students on September 17, Constitution Day. That law is as well known as H.R. 4818, also at section 111(b) the text of that law. What is being required of the school districts is that on Constitution Day it’ll be mandatory that the students get taught a lesson entailing the Constitution.

Just how that is a Law that is passed, so should a law requiring Senior Social Study teachers, teach about voting and such during the week of elections. It shall be mandatory because many citizens actually don’t know the importance of voting and the importance of such privilege that is given to them. Actually just about half of the citizens don’t vote, that’s a problem. The right to vote is a right that if taken away the country would have issues with but it’s ironic how when it comes down to it people don’t use their right and vote. To have Senior Social Study teachers informed on the process of voting and the election in general it would definitely have a affect on the voting outcome.

More young citizens will then be encouraged to use their right and say what they have to say in the election and the process of how this country is ran will be in a better place. If they are informed and active it obligates them to be apart of such events like voting. People need information and need to be able to be more aware of events; otherwise they do not know. And that should never be okay. It is only right to know what is going on in the country that you live in. Why live here, if the government is for the people, ran by the people, and you as a “pupil” do not want to have a say on the government and how its ran? It doesn’t make sense.

In 2008, the youth turnout for voting between the ages of 18 through 24 years of age in just about every ethnicity had a voting turn out of 40-50 percent. Is that something that the U.S should be proud of? Not at all; if only about half the population of that age range is voting the person who getting elected on is about half of the population. Which means actually that only about 25 percent of the population has a say on what is going on in the government and that is not at all a representation of how the government and the country should look like.

Therefore there should be a law passed that requires Senior Social Study Teachers teach a lesson on the process of voting and education on voting and the election and such on the week of election. It would greatly help the turn out of the voting among the youth of the country. Citizens should know their rights and use them to their advantage not abuse them, especially since if they were lost there would be problems.

Voter turnouts have been a decreasing thing between every race. White, black, and others are turning away from their rights to vote. An action that could change the way this country works and the outcome of the country as a whole because the decision is truly made by who they elect to represent the country. Some might say to increase voter turnouts; we need to introduce the voting passage at a younger age. But maybe that’s not really the reason, maybe the way to increase voter turnouts is actually the opposite of the teaching at a younger age, maybe it’s just inspiration and what’s right.
 * Rebuttal - Vichhay Reoung**

First of all, teaching students really just give them information, something they cannot use then. Which is not really useful until later on, but with early education why would they still want to vote. While interviewing a voter on November 2, 2010 an African American voter told why she votes and what she thinks could increase voter turnouts. “What do you think is the best method to increase voter turnout?” "Get them more interested in what's going out in the world." Learning about voting is really not that interesting, it’s like school, school is boring and just like everyday student, they tend to forget or sack off during the session at which they are learning. Not truly interested unless they’re a group they can follow and relate with.

During the Presidential election of 2008 we had a black candidate running for president. A person who could be the first president from his race, but beside that what he provided was inspiration for the people of the United States. Change from what was going on during the presidency of the last president and promised for change. “What do you think motivate voters to come out and vote?” "To vote is because we want a better change." Motivation by a promise of change that created inspiration and energy to go out that one day and vote for their candidate. Which was what Barrack Obama created that made everyone support him, while reading does nothing except know what he or she can do but not whom he or she should vote for.

Lastly, how can students use the information they’ve gain from the past to become better voters. In what ways can it help them when it just teaches about the history of it? Can it tell the details of the candidates because it’s seem voters wants leaders who are the heroes, the good guys whom they believe to be righteous and true? “What turns a voter away? "If what they stand for is not right." In election arguments the candidates tries to make each other look such as the other candidate is the bad guy because they know the voters will never vote for them only if they can make them believe this.

In conclusion there are many ways to increase voters turnout but just learning about it is just not enough. Today we’ve gain our knowledge about the situation from ads, especially from television, which is really all we need because it’s just a simple task that takes about a minute to do.


 * Voting PSA - Nailah Adam **


 * media type="file" key="VotingPSA.flv" width="360" height="270" **


 * Daniel Mambu, Vichhay Reoung, Nailah Adam, and Johniera McClain **