Editorial

As we all remember from 2008, even the time period upwards of a year prior to a Presidential election means that campaigns are already in full swing, and every American heart and mind is up for grabs to the candidates running to be our next Commander in Chief.
As high school students, while we often follow what’s going on in politics in at least a casual manner, if not attentively and passionately, because for the most part we don’t really get a say in any of it. In the circus of elections we are mere observers. We can voice our opinions all we like, but the majority of us will not have the opportunity to cast a vote.
For the seniors, though, this is beginning to change – many of us have already turned 18, and of those who haven’t, most will within the 2012 calendar year or what remains of 2011. This happens with every senior class, as most high school seniors are in the range of sixteen to eighteen years old. For the Class of 2012, however, this landmark birthday is of a unique significance available to one high school senior class every four years: for many of us, our first chance to vote will be in the next Presidential election.
This is thus an incredibly exciting moment for the senior class. Especially coming from Berkeley High, many of us already have experience participating in the political activism advocated by the community, whether through making phone calls freshman year for the Obama ’08 campaign or more recently attending the Occupy Berkeley and/or Occupy Oakland protests. After three years of being immersed in political action, as well as being constantly and unapologetically exposed to the fervent political convictions of the adults around us, I think it’s safe to say that the opportunity to finally have our voices legitimized in the election process is an enthralling one.
That being said, it seems applicable in the discussion of this issue to now mention some sage words said by Uncle Ben from Spiderman. We may not be becoming superheroes on our eighteenth birthdays, but the privileges we receive in many ways do carry similar weight; therefore, it’s appropriate to address these accompanying obligations by reminding the senior class that “with great power comes great responsibility.” The ability to vote for President is undoubtedly a power as well as responsibility, and it should not be taken lightly.
The reason that this soon-to-be granted power becomes problematic, or at the very least worrisome, stems from the fact that there is a tendency in Berkeley for the youth to follow our elders blindly when it comes to our political persuasions.
Since most of us here at Berkeley High have been raised in families that are politically active and extremely passionate about their beliefs, it’s common for kids from Berkeley to be strongly swayed by the ideologies of their parents.
In and of itself, there’s nothing wrong with supporting the same candidates and holding the same positions that your parents do; what is an issue, however, is to do so not because we ourselves are truly invested in some belief, but simply because subscribing to that point of view seems to be popular and acceptable within the context of the Berkeley community.
It is my hope that as the Class of 2012 gains the right to vote within the next year, we will keep in mind the gravity of our decisions and avoid trivializing the important responsibility being bestowed upon us. Seniors, you will soon have the ability to make your voices heard – do so wisely.