Just an observation...

I was cruising around Freak Republic earlier today and as I was sifting through the posts what I've noticed is that all of them seem like 30-50 year old..uptight...balding...well you get the picture. Point is there seems to be no trace of an 18-under crowd there like we have here in DU. Being in that age group myself I can see no reason why any teen would embrace conservative ideals. And this leads me to my question, does age have anything to do with political idealogy? I know a few conservative friends my age, but the vast majority of kids I know weather they're aware of it are not are quite liberal, anyone care to comment on this?

LOL the under 18 group here sometimes I dont even know they are so close in age. We had a thread the other day a DUer I kinda know well said I am 16 and 1/12 I was like you're only a month or so older than me. Btw syn you and leftyrebel make me feel like a old man you lowerclassmen same goes for breezy the rising freshman.

Based on conversations, local voting stats, and reading:

Young people have not been terribly motivated to vote recently. Talk to them and you will find that indeed thier views are very progressive, but they don't trust the system (who can blame them). Many think that there simply is no point in voiting -- although they'll happily give you an opinion.

We need a candidate who will encourage young people to believe in democracy.

Yeah most youngsters are liberal I have encountered some however although they are my friends I really get scared I swear its like they are in the stone age. I call myself CINO catholic in name only these two are Catholic and talk about what Catholicism is maybe I havent really been listening to my grandfolks but what they say sounds more like Jerry Falwell Christianity than regular good old Catholicism. I feel bad for them because they are so ignorant. Its a shame really one of them said he wanted civil war that really freaked me out. I was like dont you know that division of the country is bad dont you want the country united. I said while war experience for me would be good in good make me more dovish because of the horrors I would see and a smarter person I would not want a civil war to do that do me. They think they are so moral it really pisses me off I swear they think they got a double standard going by their standards they would be sinners for renting children of the corn which is what they rented yesterday. Malacai lol hehehe sorry but right wing kids scare me left wing kids we can have a talk about pop culture and politics and therefore I can get along better.

We just went over this a few days back. Some people get more conservative, some more liberal.

My general observation is that most kids tend to follow their particular crowd. So those who happen to be in a conservative "crowd" at school or church will echo those ideas. And vice versa.

I'm pleased to say that my 14 year old nephew, however, who is marooned among conservative Christians, said to me in a plaintive voice, "Man, a person isn't allowed to have their own opinions around here. Even at school everyone says I'm wrong." And then we had a great discussion about his reservations on the coming war in Iraq (this was early this year.) He was SO relieved to have someone to talk to who agreed with him.

And I was so impressed with what he knew and had read and figured out for himself. ALL by himself, because there's certainly nobody in his daily life who would do anything but praise Bush and pass the ammunition.

I know how hard it is to stand up for something even though its unpopular, I go to a private school crawling with little daddy's boy's and girl's who think Republican because their daddies do. No independent thought at all. x(