As Sen. Stan Rosenberg’s “Millennial Engagement Initiative” wraps up a series of input-gathering meetings that started this winter, I wanted to share some thoughts on young people in politics. I am excited that Sen. Rosenberg has taken on engagement of millennials as a priority, and grateful for the leadership of our neighboring Sen. Eric Lesser, who headed up the initiative.
As a 22-year-old, I know firsthand how much my generation cares about improving the world, and yet in a politically polarized country most of my peers choose nonprofits, business, or other routes to try and enact their visions of change.
We need to reclaim the very idea of government as the foundation of our society, and politics as the way we collectively make decisions to improve each other’s lives. When Americans of any age see government as some “other” thing, we become cynical and disengaged; when we take back ownership and remember that government is us, we can achieve bold changes for our communities.
At the end of the day, millennials will start believing in government again when government starts getting big things done. I’m running for state representative to bring this vision, and the energy I have as a young person, to the legislature, and I hope other young people will join me.
We need not just a handful, but a wave of new leaders if we’re going to truly solve climate change, give our schools the funding they need and change the character of politics in America.
Solomon Goldstein-Rose
Amherst
The writer is a candidate for state representative in Amherst, Pelham, and Granby, and can be reached at SolomonForRep.org. He served on the Amherst School Committee and graduated from Brown University.