Hillary, The Millennials, and Information Literacy
Hillary, the Millennials, and Information Literacy
Hillary Clinton’s campaign for President of the United States has met heavy resistance from millennials. Her image and record as part of the establishment undermines her vigorous efforts to reach the White House as our next leader.
Hillary Clinton, 2016 Presidential Candidate
And why is that? Young people today have immediate access to more information channels than at any other time in our history.
Pursuing facts and/or truth is not necessarily their first impulse. The frenzy and circus atmosphere of a presidential campaign compliments their short attention spans.
Political gossip, innuendo, distortions, analyses, and misinterpretations regularly go unchallenged.
Most are also unaware of the fine art of information literacy practice. Although skilled technocrats, most cannot
- thoroughly define and analyze the problems,
- critically research possible solutions, and
- formulate, realistic actions plans to meet the short and long term needs of our nation’s diverse populations.
Many are swayed by the excitement of campaign slogans that appear to address their immediate concerns. But few critically think about the actual complex democratic political process required to solve those concerns.
Unfortunately, according to Annenberg Public Policy Center survey, very few Americans actually know about the legacy, history, and practice of our nation’s system of government- the Congress, Supreme Court, and the Presidency.
Secretary Clinton does have a conundrum on her hands. How can she ensure that Millennials see beyond the fervor of campaign slogans and personalities, start asking the hard questions, and demand substantive answers?
Case in point…
Why was Senator Sanders absent from the final Senate vote on the landmark legislation, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in December, 2015?
This critical reauthorization of the 50 year old Elementary and Secondary Education Act shifts policy and implementation focus from the Federal government to the individual states. This is a marked difference from the intent of its predecessor, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).
Although Senator Sanders has been on the presidential campaign trail, he does have a current history of returning to the Senate for important legislative votes.
Another issue is Senator Sander’s free tuition for public colleges and universities. Is this really a realistic possibility or another opportunity for Wall Street to gauge the consumer given that the Sanders bill calls for 2/3 funding from the Federal government (tax on Wall Street) and 1/3 from the states?
Millennials, get your thinking caps on! We’ve heard the rallying cries, dreams, and platitudes. Now is the time to become information literate!
All candidates for public office need to have their feet continually held to the political fire.
So ask about their campaign platform execution details. Question the plausibility of their answers, given the current political and social climate.
And do so before you step into that voter’s booth to make your choice for our nation’s next leader.
#Hillary2016 #feelthebern #millennials #informationliteracy#Sanders