Arizona’s NBC affiliate, 12 News, recently hosted a roundtable discussion, “For Our Future: A conversation inspired by Christina-Taylor Green.”
Joined by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, 12 students from around the state gathered to share ideas and pick each other’s brains, discussing how the tone of political discourse in this country might be improved.
It is not a topic for a typical junior high, high school, or even college student to be well versed in.
These students, who submitted essays and videos, ranged in ages 13 to 17 years old, and their ideas were impressive.
The students’ essays stressed the differences between hearing someone’s ideas and actually listening. Some theorized that the drive for arbitrary competition might be transformed into creative solutions to problems that face the U.S. today. Ultimately, the students recognized how lucky we are to have open dissent in this country.
The essays suggested that through keeping an open mind and listening to opponents, the younger generation just now starting to approach adulthood might be able to better address the concerns facing them as they become eligible voters participating in civic life.
Older generations, including ours, have a lot to learn from these highly engaged and innovative students.
In the past year, we’ve heard a lot about the troublingly shrill and ultimately unproductive turn political rhetoric has taken in the wake of the mass shooting in Tucson that left six dead and 13 wounded last January.
We started to wonder if the vicious politicking and mudslinging of the previous election had an influence on the political motivations of the shooter.
While it turned out the only motivation behind the shooting was a willful desire to destroy, the country nevertheless began to examine the climate that did nothing to help the situation.
In order to respond to the wave of discussion in the weeks that followed, UA established the National Institute for Civil Discourse. This is an organization co-chaired by former Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton, with former U.S. Senate majority leader, Tom Daschle, and Justice O’Connor, who have stressed the importance of civic education. Their mission is to provide “advocacy, research, and policy regarding civil discourse consistent with First Amendment principles,” according to the institute’s website.
This is a uniquely Arizonan opportunity for young people looking to contribute to their communities and to get engaged in political life.
“It’s important for Americans to be involved in government and to be active in telling their representatives what they want,” said Mark Kimble, spokesman for U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
Christina-Taylor Green, the young victim of the Tucson shooting, was largely inspired by Giffords and was highly involved in student government at her elementary school in Tucson, Kimble said.
Green undoubtedly would have made a huge difference in her community, her state and her country.
Honoring her memory and encouraging others to continue the pursuit of the world she thought was possible is the least we can do to try to prevent something so horrific from happening again.
Reach the columnist at savannah.thomas@asu.edu.
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