Dear Editor:
Re: Young and Voteless, Oct. 4 Viewpoint
I found it interesting that the writer’s intention was to comment on the importance of young votes and the need to get that population to the polls, yet he or she opens the dialogue by cracking a joke at their expense.
The writer says “it seems voting is not something (they deem) worth putting down Instagram and Snapchat for,” effectively implying that millennials are shallow and not interested in current events or making this country a better place.
Furthermore, the writer goes on to say “we want you to grab them by the ear — yes, physically — and drag them to (vote).”
Let me pose a question: would it be OK to talk this way about a different age group? For example, seniors? It would seem to me that this pervasive attitude is part of the problem by contributing to millennials’ perceptions that they are young and don’t know enough (and therefore don’t have anything to contribute) and that their vote won’t make a difference. Infantilizing them and implying that they don’t care is both insulting and alienating.
How can we expect people to take up an interest and feel that their voice matters when we talk about them so dismissively?
As a millennial myself, I have seen lots of interest amongst my peers and I feel hopeful that the rather dismal millennial turnout at polls will change.
While I agree with the overall message of the article in question, I challenge the writer to consider how the dialogue itself is off-putting to millennials and how alienating them in this fashion may be contributing to the very problem they seek to solve.
Emily Weeks
North Vancouver
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