Will a new generation of politicians please stand up?

Today, America faces challenges in immigration, growing Islamic radicalism, a budget deficit, social security, and a sluggish economy. These issues, as daunting as they may seem, have solutions.

But those solutions can only be met if there is bipartisanship and compromise between both parties. Instead, Washington has been characterized by polarization and political gridlock.

As “busy” as college students are, we owe it to ourselves to take more time assessing the political landscape and those who represent us on a national level. Soon we will not only realize that these issues affect us more than we thought, but that who we choose to handle those issues carries a significant amount of weight for our future and the nation’s.

Too many representatives have been pulled to their party extremes, either far left or far right. This prevents discussion, and without discussion there is little to no productivity.

Because of this, Americans have lost faith in elected officials and their ability to get things done. Too often do we see a stagnant Washington on the news. We see a whole lot of talk and not much else.

According to Gallup polls this month, only 14 percent of Americans approve of Congress (making President Obama’s 41 percent approval rating look above average). This is slightly higher than their historic low of 9 percent just last year. That’s right, our Congress had its lowest approval rating in history just last year.

Mark Twain once said, “Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But then I repeat myself.” Congress has been criticized for quite sometime, but right now it certainly deserves being called out by the American people.

Americans look at Washington D.C. and they are disappointed. They are embarrassed. They see a group of men and women who act more like children than the leaders they were elected to be. We are tired of government shutdowns.

We are tired of the low productivity on Capitol Hill. And we are tired of our country treading water instead of swimming to shore.
What happened to good politicians? Our elected officials are supposed to be better than this. They are supposed to be public servants who work for the better of the people, not themselves.

Today there is a lack of leadership in Washington. Our politicians have turned to public criticism of their opponents rather than working to get things done behind closed doors.

Our nation faces serious challenges, and we can’t afford to have politicians who are out of touch with reality. Therefore, we the people can’t afford not to vote.

The midterm election is one week away and Colorado residents, students included, have an opportunity to express their frustration. It is our responsibility to hold our elected officials accountable. This requires voters to spend time getting to know each candidate, as well as understanding the national implications of the Colorado senate race between Senator Mark Udall (Democrat) and Representative Cory Gardner (Republican).

We are not powerless. In fact, we are one of the most powerful generations in history. We are young and at the age to start taking hold of the future. Our energy, open-mindedness and better education is unmatched by any other generation and is already shaping society today.
I urge you to become better informed and to vote on Nov. 4 for the candidate you believe can prove Mark Twain wrong. And I challenge you to be an active participant in shaping America’s future.