| What Issues Do Young Adults Care About?
by: Tenille Martin
A summary of different concerns that young adults share Education According to a report published by the National Center For Education Statistics, 19.5% of Americans over the age of 18 enter college. For those who have the financial resources and discipline to finish their degrees, they must face the decreasing employment opportunities in many career fields. However, in order to reach the education level necessary to attend college, and therefore obtain employment in higher paying positions, children must have a firm educational foundation. With the decrease of qualified teachers entering the education field, and the higher costs of private school, this foundation is difficult to obtain. For many children in urban schools, the opportunity to attend college is just a far-fetched dream. One example of this is the unfortunate fact that 20% of American adults read at or below a fifth grade level. Some educational bills that many politicians are campaigning for include: · School vouchers · Increase of funding for public schools · Stringent certification testing for teachers · Standardized testing for all students Health One of the top health concerns for young adults is the increasing threat of sexually transmitted diseases and teenage pregnancy. Since the 60's, also known as the "sexual revolution," we have seen an increase of unexpected pregnancies and the introduction of AIDS into mainstream society. In fact, according to the Center for Disease Control, approximately 118,000 young people between the ages of 13 and 29 are living with AIDS. This is not an issue to be ignored, since 2/3 of STD's occur in people 25 years old and younger, 1 in 10 teenage women become pregnant every year, and 1 in 4 teens are infected with an STD every year. Many politicians look to an increase of sex education in the schools to help solve this crisis, while others set their trust in abstinence till marriage education. Another health issue gaining a large amount of media attention, is mental illness left untreated among teenagers. One particular mental illness, eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, binge eating), affects millions of young adults every year. With children younger and younger considering their weight and ability to attract the opposite sex, eating disorders are increasingly prevalent in America. Politics Not many of us will soon forget the many political scandals of the past five years - Clinton/Lewinsky, Kennedy, or Condit/Levy. In all the money, power, and fame, are there actually politicians paying attention to the needs of the country and our concerns? 46% of young adults never volunteer for a political campaign because they do not feel that the candidates running address their concerns, or are trustworthy. Only 53% feel that our country's leaders and institutions address their concerns. Crime Turn on the TV or radio and you'll here about murder, robberies, and the occasional hostage situation. Yes, crime is an issue on the minds of many young adults today. Some of us may not live in high crime areas, but many live in areas where drive-by shootings are a fact of life. According to the FBI, every 19 seconds a violent crime is committed. An Associated Press report comments that children in the United States are nine times more likely to be killed by gunfire than all of the next 25 top industrial nations. Why? Another increasing concern is the rise in hate crimes among young adults. One in three hate crimes are committed by people under the age of 18, with 75% under the age of 30. Another statistic by the FBI states: Of the hate crimes reported to the FBI in 1999, 1,411 incidents were attributed to prejudice against the victim's religion; 1,317, against his or her sexual orientation; 829 against ethnic or national origin; and 19 against disabilities. Economics With the bombardment of commercials, sales flyers, telemarketers, and Internet ads, more and more Americans are falling into the cavern of debt. Millions of families have thousands of dollars in credit card debt far exceeding what they can possibly afford. Though most of us start out with good intentions of living by a budget, getting good jobs, and saving money, statistics show that few of us carry out our plans. The point...start now with a budget, save a percentage of every paycheck, and live within your means. Environment/Overpopulation The stereotypical environmentalist, with the "tree-hugger" mentality is slowing giving way to a mainstream concern for protecting our natural resources. Recently, a woman in our area was diagnosed with cancer. The cause - a pesticide used on their farm. In fact, according to The Sierra Club, 80% of all cancer is caused by environmental contaminants. It appears that our very existence depends on cleaning the chemicals and toxins seeping into our communities. For example, take a look at the following statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency: · 3 out of 10 Americans breathe unhealthy air even though the Clean Air Act was passed more than 20 years ago. · 20% of community drinking water systems get their drinking water from facilities that violate public health safety requirements. · 10 million children under the age of 12 live within 4 miles of a toxic waste dumpsite. Another concern that flows in and out of the media is overpopulation. The United Nations spends millions of dollars every year in providing birth control and abortions to women in third world countries. However, statistically, we are not in a situation of overpopulation but poor use of resources and land. "Human beings inhabit no more than 3 percent of the land surface of the earth. What's more, the amount of habitable land is not limited. Singapore was once marshland. Much of Holland was once under water.... "To put the matter in perspective, if the world's 5.4 billion people were put in Jacksonville, Florida, each person would have four square feet to stand in. In Texas each person would have at least fourteen hundred square feet, the area of a good-sized two-bedroom apartment." Sheldon L. Richman, "Much Ado About Nothing: Population Growth as Promise, Not Problem," The World & I, vol. 8, no. 6 (1993): 374-75. In Closing... There are so many issues that form our belief systems and guide our professional and personal lives. It is impossible to give a synopsis of each in one article. However, it is imperative that we search for the answers to our questions and understand both sides of the issues in order to find the truth hiding amidst the rhetoric. About the Author Tenille is currently a freelance writer and editor. She is a former professional ballet dancer and actress. |
