Protect the Second Amendment. Ratify a Balanced Budget Amendment. Stand by Israel. Fairer, simpler and more equitable tax system.

     Do you know which candidate’s stances these are?

     If you’re like most students, the likely answer is no. Right now, it’s okay for future voters to not know exactly what is going on in the political world because the 2016 Presidential elections are still over a year away. But as potential voters, NHS students need to be educated on the issues of politics.

     The current senior class and a significant portion of the junior class will be eligible to vote on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. Though not a legal requirement, voting provides citizens with the opportunity to voice their opinions. Voting ensures the democratic republic of our country. Thus, an informed and educated vote helps to produce a government that best represents the people and what they truly desire.

     An informed and educated vote is not necessarily simple or easy. It may require hours of research, watching televised debates or digging through liberal, conservative and non-partisan information on the web, in the paper or in other media. This is the responsibility that legal adults must undertake.

     This voting responsibility demands vigilance and awareness in regards to all types of media and all influences. Don’t support or condemn any politician because of a particular point that the media hyped into a fiasco. Whether it be a certain stance on the platform or a specific statement made by the candidate, an individual detail of a campaign rarely epitomizes the politician’s entire platform. Each politician has numerous stances on numerous issues, all of which should be taken into account. Discounting or approving of a candidate and his or her entire set of beliefs based on one statement made by that politician or one single stance on a certain issue that the politician holds is a narrow-minded, uneducated mistake.

     Similarly, young voters should not forgo educating themselves with the assumption that what their parents believe is what they believe and who their parents vote for is the “right” candidate. Young voters also need to be aware of the impact friends, peers, and all types of media have on their beliefs and their vote. Youth needs to be vigilant and understand these factors that influence them so that they can avoid indoctrination. In this search to find their personal beliefs, voters of all ages can ensure their true and earnest commitment to their beliefs, whatever they may be.

     The Mill Stream believes that as potential voters, NHS students should take their suffrage seriously. Voters of all ages—but especially young adults as they prepare to vote for the first time—should ensure that their vote is educated, informed and unadulteratedly their own.