Moving America Left

If Americans still don’t buy gay marriage, it won’t be because the left isn’t trying. “Young people have issues, but we have answers for problems,” declared Jessy Tolkan of Campus Climate Challenge, opening the panel with enthusiastic hurrahs from the teenage audience.

Tolkan emphasized climate change awareness, educating onlookers about the Energy Action Coalition, consisting of “40 organizations committed to social justice and stopping climate change.” “Young people want clean energy,” Tolkan remarked. She directed those with an interest to websites such as www.climatechange.org and www.itsgettinghotinhere.org.

Tolkan represented only a fraction of the campus-oriented liberal movements and organizations represented on the panel. PIRG, or Public Interest Research Groups included the New Voter’s Project, registering over 600,000 young people since 2004.

Jon Hoadley spoke on behalf of the Gill Action Fund, which is devoted to creating “opportunities for all sexual orientations and identities.” His PowerPoint slides showed statistics of tolerance towards homosexuality among the young.

American youth feel that:

• Homosexual relationships should be legal: 59%

• Homosexuality is an acceptable alternative lifestyle: 57%

• Homosexuality is moral: 47%

• Homosexuals should have equal job opportunities: 89%

• Should recognize same-sex marriage: 46%

Juan Pachaeco of Barrios Unidos spoke about violence prevention and the need to reach out to gang members and troubled teens. “We must go to them, because they won’t come to us,” Pachaeco insisted. However, individual accountabilities won’t ultimately solve this dilemma. “We need long-distance runners,” Pachaeco observed, “elders such as Connie Rice” [no apparent relation to the Secretary of State].

Mary Kapp is an intern at the American Journalism Center, a joint program run by Accuracy in Media and Accuracy in Academia.