Taking Initiative

From day one, the purpose of my blog has been to stimulate the youth of the country to get involved in the political process and this election in some way. This is not to say that people my age are not already involved. There are college students all over the country registering new voters, rallying students behind their candidate, and trying to spark youth interest as much as I am.

Aaron Schrag

Over the summer one of my good friends became very active in the Waterbury for Obama Committee. Although I could not be as involved as I would have liked to have been this summer, I respected the time and effort he was putting in to this cause. Aaron Schrag, a junior at the University of Connecticut, is helping organize a youth rally for Barack Obama in Waterbury, CT. this fall.

“At the first committee meeting we decided something like this should occur and it really took off from there” Aaron said. “The other members of the group have taken a lot of pressure of me [this semester] since I cannot be in Waterbury every day.”

The event is scheduled to take place October 9th in downtown Waterbury on the Green. There will be speeches, live music, and the Waterbury Drill Team is scheduled to do a performance.

The Green in downtown Waterbury, CT

Aaron has been very active in generating youth interest for this election and more specifically youth support for Barack Obama’s campaign. For him, Obama is more than just another politician.

“Obama has really motivated me as a person,” he said. “Most people know that he is a very eloquent speaker but, when I hear him speak, it’s like music to my ears.”

“I know it sounds cliche, but we are the youth of this country. If we don’t take action and help shape our futures then we are not acting as intelligent as we should.”

I have already shown what kind of attention a youth rally can generate in my blog The Youth of the Nation. Aaron expects similar results and hopes to draw some apathetics and undecideds into the political scene.

“I hope that this rally will cause youth in the Waterbury area and youth around the country to get out and vote. I’m tired of hearing that the youth demographic is last or second to last in voting percentages. We need to be active and we need to be heard.”

I could not say it better myself.

Alex J. Martin