Five Things Democrats Can Do for Young People
Philadelphia Daily News -- Thursday, November 02, 2006
http://www.philly.com/...
By Ben Waxman
It appears that a tidal wave of voter unrest will sweep Republicans out of power. Good riddance. Conservative policies have been a disaster for the youth of America. Thankfully, there are five things that Democrats can do immediately to improve the lives of young people across the nation.
Bring our troops home from Iraq. Nearly 3,000 American soldiers have died fighting in a pointless and destructive war. The vast majority of those killed have been under 25 years old. Countless Iraqi youth have also died and their deaths fan the flames of extremism across the Islamic world. Young people will be forced to grow up in a world that hates America. Unless there is a radical shift in U.S. policy, we will be facing the consequences for many generations. It's time for the United States to withdrawal from Iraq.
Make higher education affordable. In today's high-tech economy, a college education is a must. At the same time, the cost of higher education has spiraled out of control. Students are being forced to borrow more and more to finance their education. The total amount of student debt, not including private loans, is more than $438 billion. Congress should immediately offer legislation designed to provide more financial aid for students. Want to know how Democrats can be the dominant political party for the next fifty years? Free higher education for everyone.
Provide economic security. Young workers are facing a very uncertain job market. Wages are stagnant and job security is at an all-time low. Organized labor is weak and employees have little or no voice at their workplace. This needs to change. There is a Democratic proposal, called "Card Check", which would simplify the process by which workers can form a union. Congress should immediately pass "Card Check" and allow young people to have a say on the job.
Universal Healthcare Coverage for Children. We might be a long way from providing healthcare for every American, but that doesn't mean Congress can't take a whack at the problem. There are 46 million people in the richest country in the world without healthcare. 8.3 million of them are children. It's time to provide health coverage for everyone under the age of 18. Senator John Kerry has already offered legislation that would do just that. If Democrats take power, they should immediately pass Kerry's proposal. It is both shameful and unjust that so many of our youngest citizens are going without healthcare coverage.
Fight for Alternative Energy Sources. Our addition to fossil fuels is bad for our country and bad for our planet. Instead of relying on autocratic dictators for a limited supply of oil, the U.S. needs to get serious about alternative energy. Young people will be paying the price of global warming for the rest of our lives. We need to make investments in environmentally friendly technology now to protect future generations. Democrats should immediately pass legislation funding increased research of alternative energy sources.
It is extremely likely that President Bush would veto all of these plans if they were passed by Congress. Still, Democrats shouldn't be afraid of offering bold ideas. Democrats need to starkly show the differences between liberal and conservative approaches to governance. The foundation of a lasting progressive majority will be built on the young voters of today.
Ben Waxman is a student at Juniata College. He can be reached at ben@benwaxman.com.