http://www.youthspeak.blogspot.com

Hours of wait. Hot sun. Rain. Cold weather. Skipping class. Making a difference. VOTING. Young people across America decided they were fed up with our current way of politics and voiced their opinion and ideals loud and clear. We no longer stand in the shadows of our parents and grand-parents generations--we have created our own path. A path in which we can truly be proud of and continue to work together to make our voiced heard even louder.

We are truly the future of this country and the policies that are enacted over the next four and eight years will be very important and telling for our future. Can we finally fix social security so it will be there when we are older? Can we reform our public school system so our children will be able to compete in this new globalized economy? Can we reform our health care system so it is not crumbling before us and all Americans have access to a doctor? Can we build new alliances around the world so the stature of America's ideals are not merely just words, but also positive actions? Can we stop our addiction to oil and create new means of energy and save our environment so our children can see all of our earths beauty?

These are just a few questions that we must begin to truly pay attention to and find answers for!! We can join this debate--if you voted for or against Sen. Obama, that has no bearing on these causes---we all have the right to stand for what we believe in and to be HEARD! This is our country just as much as it is our parents and older Americans. If we want a stronger America, a brighter America, and truly begin to bring about the change that MUST occur over the next four years in order for this nation to survive, young people must begin to hold our leaders accountable or there may not be another chance.

So how do you bring about change in a country so big? Volunteer, write to your senator and representatives, write to your local newspaper, run for office, become movers and shakers where you live, start a business, etc. We cannot continue to be shy and just wait this one out. Right now we are in the 3rd quarter and a couple touchdowns back--we have some catching up to do, but I truly believe that we as a group--our generation can
leave its mark and rise up to the challenge as we always have. We are intelligent, hard working, resilient, determined, creative, idealistic, and we fight for what we believe in.

Over the next couple of months I hope to hear from many of my friends on how we can truly bring the change we wish to see in this country and at the same time inspire a whole new generation to stand up and be heard!

"Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential."

President-Elect Barack Obama