Politics. It encompasses us whether or not we aware of its presence. Did your parents ever tell you the golden rule about politics, "never talk about religion or politics"? Why is that a mundane reality for many us? Haven't we been reared to vocalize our opinions and profess our beliefs to those who may listen? Why is politics an exception to that, especially for young people? Silence. Silence is our killer lurking in the shadows pouncing on each of us one by one, gradually eliminating our existence in politics. Silence has the possibility to shepherd ignorance. Ponder that actuality for a moment. I could tell you the definition of ignorance, the lack of knowledge, or information, but it wouldn't suffice. I could be ignorant in football because I don't, watch it neither do I know all the fundamentals. I could be ignorant about the age of my neighbor, simply because I have never asked. Neil Potsman, an American author and educator wrote, "It is precisely through one's learning about the total context in which the language of a subject is expressed that personality may be altered." Informing ourselves can broaden our worldview and has the ability to alter misconceptions. Youth and politics are sundered into two divisions: Ways Youth can Change the World through Politics and Things Youth Need to Change the World through Politics. It emphasizes the essence that children are in fact, the future. Even the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution states, "Secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity." To execute this behest, we must acculturate children into our political customs. However, ultimately, the resolution rests in the hands of children. If children resolve the matter by not participating in our country's public affairs, they imperil their destinies. Peter Baskerville remarked, "The ignorant are ignorant of their ignorance." I not only concur with his sentiment but I also believe ignorance is the enemy human kind misinterprets as a friend. Under the influence of ignorance, we decimate any visible pathway to rationale and logic. Most importantly, we obliterate hope. Hope for something exceeding our standards, our envisions. Hope for improvement we comprehend won't materialize in our lifetimes. Hope for enduring vitality and exuberance so overwhelming it persists even when nothing and no one remains. "We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future." Wise words from Franklin D. Roosevelt. My friends, how will you create our future?