Youth Movement

A while back there was a post on kcskyscrapers.com. It was from a graduate student lamenting the fact that he could have no influence in shaping Kansas City because of his age and lack of financial status. It got me to thinking about my own experiences as a young adult. As a 23 year old first-time homeowner I wanted to take part. It was my city too. But the unwritten rule in KC politics is you have to be "established" in order to have an opinion. I was 34 when I was appointed to my first mayoral committee. I wasn't the mayor's pick. In fact, she barely knew who I was. The chairman of the committee had requested my appointment because the group was tasked to write business & strategic plans for City departments and they needed somebody who had actually done it. Enter yours truly. The thing I found most disconcerting about my experiences with that first committee was the attitude about age as it relates to experience. Some members of the committee had a hard time accepting opinions from a "kid". I had almost 15 years of industry experience and a graduate degree but because I didn't have enough gray in my hair I couldn't possibly know anything. I know that young adults have a lot to offer. I used to be one myself. I think it's time to start including them in shaping the city that they are going to live in. I certainly am not going to practice agism if I'm elected, but look for a major youth movement at City Hall. At least on advisory committees. I think it was Albert Einstein who said something to the effect of "Today's problems will not be solved by the minds that created them." And to the grad student who thinks he can't make a difference? Get ready to go to work.