Our youngest and future generations face an unprecedented and challenging future. We must center our decisions on their reality: acknowledging that we live in a rapidly changing world that puts at risk the well-being of these underrepresented constituents. This must be central to selecting a new City Council member and handoff of the reins of leadership.
The legacy of America’s more senior generations — while rich with accomplishment and experience — is also tarnished by the consequences of shortsighted vision and entrenched power structures that preserve their position in society. Climate change, economic inequality, environmental degradation and the growing concentration of wealth and power are not mere abstractions — they are realities that our youth are acutely aware of and deeply affected by.
Our political divisions often stem from these intergenerational, wealth and cultural power imbalances. Disenfranchised youth and underrepresented minorities, alienated by a lack of representation of their voice, are either stepping away from political participation or succumbing to the appeal of “simplistic” but radical solutions. We must not obstruct change by clinging to the status quo. Instead, we need to embrace the energy of emerging leadership that brings holistic approaches and multi-solving solutions that can effectively adapt to our rapidly changing world…