The Importance Of Activism In Cowhey's Activist

Voting--the pinnacle of democracy, suffrage for all. While it took a couple of centuries for the United States to guarantee universal suffrage, we now have it, regardless of sex or race. The struggle of acquiring suffrage is a long history, one that we as Americans paradoxically praise and condemn, but it is history, and now we must look towards the future. Yet, Harvard Professor Dr. Judith Shklar argues otherwise in her lecture “Voting” where she navigates the history behind the long battle for universal suffrage in the United States. More importantly, she provokes the audience when she presents an unorthodox history of the struggle for suffrage:

I. Open with Impact: College students believe they don’t need to vote and find it a waste of time since our “votes” don’t matter or don’t change anything.

It will take great strides to create a system in which American citizens will be represented in the political process, and only then will young Americans be truly compelled to vote. One way to achieve this goal

The message emerging from a recent research series on youth civic and political participation is clear: today's youth are not disjoined from associational and small political life, but they are increasingly disenchanted with formal political institutions and practices. Children and youth under 18 have made sententious strides in recent years toward fuller involvement in democratic processes. These strides,

Verba and his co-authors examine the import of participation, both voting and non-voting, in our American society. According to their argument, the typical citizen activist “tend[s] to be drawn disproportionately from more advantaged groups–to be well-educated and well-heeled and to be White and male” (Verba et al., 1995: 231). Indeed, Verba et al. explore participation along both gender and racial lines and concludes that both women and minorities are comparatively less active than men, especially white men, who stand peerless both in terms of affiliation with a political organization, contributing to a campaign, contacting their Representatives, and more direct forms of participation like voting.

Up until the early 1900s, obtaining suffrage for all was a long-standing, turbulent battle that many had devoted their lives to. Once the racial and gender barriers were shattered, the participation in the political process on a national and state level greatly increased; citizens were finally able to express their partisan viewpoint through vote. Unfortunately, current voting laws in the US do not provide every of-age citizen with the same satisfaction; convicted felons in Texas can not contribute to society through the ultimate method of political communication: vote.

At a first glance, one might look at the current status of women’s rights and conclude that much has changed since the beginning of the twentieth century. This is not entirely untrue - women have indeed been granted universal suffrage in the United States. However, there are still significant challenges which women face in the present day. This paper seeks to understand the early women’s suffrage movement in all aspects, which will include individuals, events, and activism. Although it did not happen immediately, this movement resulted in success in the form of universal suffrage. Through various activist tactics ranging from public protests to the more behind-the-scenes activism such as written articles. By studying and understanding activist movements of the past, we are better able to be successful in our present-day activism. This essay will also analyse the problems with voting that women face today, and attempt to discover ways in which the current situation can be improved. Even though women have had suffrage for the past 96 years, they still face troubles when it comes to election day. Voter ID laws are emerging in many states, which can create struggles for women at the polls. This has disenfranchised many female voters, and has an even larger impact of women who come from minority groups. By raising awareness for these problems, we can help make change happen to improve the situation, just like the suffragettes did in the early women’s rights movement.

I have written a brief play addressing what’s happening on college campuses these days—campuses such as Yale and the University of Missouri. It would appear that institutions charged with the responsibility of teaching young adults academic content and critical thinking skills have discovered that radical politics and indoctrination are much easier to do and equally profitable. Apparently, offering extra credit in college for taking part in social justice protests has become popular in some quarters.

Today was the last day to compile research about young voters. All of my research was summarized and analyzed. My research paper provides background information and global analysis about young voters. I researched the reason for young voters absence in the polls. I have also discovered some possible solutions. This information is helpful because my final product is about finding solutions to young voters absence specifically in Warren county. The solutions will be used to help connect county officials to high school students. I will also identify problems in the county and discover where high school students stand politically. My research paper has lots of statistics about the state young voters are now, where they were, and where they can

On top of homework assignments, exams, and other events; this year, college students nationwide have another important task to worry about: voting for a new president. Not surprisingly, many students nationwide are still not voting. There are many reasons why they don’t vote, one being that they are not even registered to vote. The solution to this problem could be that we create a user friendly guide for students, showcasing the steps it takes to register to vote. Many will argue that simply registering to vote won’t drive someone to actually go out and vote, but it’s a step closer away from not voting at all.

This past semester, I engaged in quite a few conversations with my sorority sisters about the importance of political activism, research different political views to make your own and to register to vote. My story that I always share is that my first rally was at four years old in a stroller and for my sixteenth birthday I received my voter’s registration card, not a license to drive.

Inappropriate comments, racism remarks,petty bickering, media exploitation- no I’m not describing a trashy reality TV show, but our current Presidential campaign. If the adults can’t act mature enough to discuss real issues and make real change, it’s time to hand that responsibility over to the students. After all, we are America’s future. We will feel the impact of these leaders long after they are gone. Thus, we deserve a say. Though I live in this democratic society, as a seventeen year old, a few archaic documents deprive me of fundamental rights. A few regulations stand between me and the voting booth, silencing my voice. This applies to the majority of students as well. Schools need to provide a forum for student’s voice and

The majority of my practical learning has been gained through collecting petition signatures for a number of political candidates. Through talking to voters of ages ranging from 18-90+, I learned how to successfully collect petition signatures and gained insight on voters’ most important issues.

Fighting efforts to restrict voting can help increase our voter turnout. Some Republican state governments are pushing tough voter ID laws to restrict votes to help their party gain and keep control. The poor may not be able to get easy access to the identification required to vote, such as Social Security cards and birth certificates. Those living in poorer neighborhoods likely have difficulties being able to access government centers to get these forms of identification to be able to vote. These restrictions can even be place on students. Republican lawmakers will block students from using their student identification to vote. Republicans do this so there are less liberal voters out there, since young people and students are mostly liberal. Mann and Ornstein present solutions that can really benefit the country.