Our Caucus: On millennials and why politics matter

Taylor Gipple | Our Caucus

In the 2012 election, I was in college and would routinely get heckled by volunteers on the way to class asking if I had voted. Knowing their game, I would put in headphones before walking past them and would escape the inevitable questions and persuasion talks.

We think getting involved in politics is voting every four years. That thinking is wrong, but we simply haven’t been told otherwise. Getting involved in politics is knowing what is going on in your state, identifying problems in your local areas, bringing issues to light by voicing your opinions to family/friends, and participating in state elections. Getting involved in politics is getting in touch with your local community and then bringing the bigger issues to the national forefront.

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t’s simply not just casting a vote every four years. As a citizen of the United States, your opinion is worth more than a vote every national election. Your opinion is what will shape the direction of our country. Your opinion is what will shape our laws. Your opinion is part of a democracy where we instruct the government what is best for the people. The government is supposed to work for the betterment of the people, but this can only happen if we get involved. Vote for candidates who identify with your beliefs. Argue with your friends about their opinions and what issues they think are important. But agree upon common ground.

Our generation is smart, but it is also accepting. We can handle discussing controversial topics. We won’t agree on everything, but we should focus on finding common ground and bringing those issues to light. We’re all really not that different and shouldn’t let our differences stop us from moving forward on the similar goals between us.

We’re millennials. We’re smart, we have opinions, we’re accepting, but still having differences, we move forward. If we get involved.

Taylor Gipple is a 22-year-old Des Moines native and recent University of Northern Iowa graduate who works in IT in Des Moines.

To read more from the 12 Iowans who are writing about their experiences for Our Caucus, visit https://medium.com/our-caucus. Our Caucus is a Des Moines Register project designed to bring in varying viewpoints and experiences, especially from younger voters, during this election cycle.