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A New Voter
"I have to admit I’m nervous about my first vote."
Listen
to this Commentary!
By Kiah Vernon
I have been looking forward to my eighteenth birthday for as long as I can remember. I think about all the freedom I will have and all the great things I can do without having to get my parents permission. But I am beginning to realize that getting older also means assuming more responsibilities. One of those is voting.
Now I have a chance for my voice to be heard on issues that are important to me. But I have to admit I’m nervous about my first vote. I need to learn more about the issues and the candidates.
As a self-absorbed teenager, I honestly don't really know what's going on outside my world of music videos and shopping. I can tell you what Beyonce wore to the Grammy Awards, but I don’t know anything about NAFTA. But with my new responsibility as a voter, I know it is time for me to step up and become more informed about the world around me. Almost every magazine I open has articles on the election stressing the importance for people my age to vote.
During an election year, even MTV provides useful information on many issues important to teenagers; like when our peers are coming home from Iraq and how much financial aid will be available for college students.
I’m learning turning eighteen isn't all about getting tattoos and buying lottery tickets - it's also about becoming an informed citizen.
- Kiah Vernon is a senior at Grady High School.
Youth Radio Atlanta is
produced in cooperation with WABE and funded in part by The Arthur M. Blank
Family Foundation.
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