state of the election

Our country is so special, and all too often i hear young people express general disgust for the government and country as a whole. It really alarms me that people my age (specifically those 20-25) have such a distaste for all things govermental and political. Note that I am not personally identifiable as part of a specific party. I am more like an observing third party who has reached a place of direction and has decided to get involved.
This is in no way meant to be a negative reflection on President Bush, but I have noticed that most of the young people i know think of him as a power-hungry "sneaky-uncle" who will use and twist everything we have ever been told about the world for his own benefit, and that he will sacrifice our lives in mass numbers just to win his own personal battles.
In fact, I can see how some of us would be very wary of the gov't because of these things seeming to be true, but every one of us has to eventually realize that what happens in the future depends on us. i do not personally have any problem with our current president, and I have not complained much because i actually did not vote in the last presidential election--and then eureka--it is clear to me, I sat around and and did nothing to prevent him from being in office again because I was convinced that my vote wouldn't make a difference.
Almost everyone i know affiliates themselves with the republican party seemingly because they feel that it affirms their distinct morality and further concretes their individual identities as strong and conservative christians. They act as if it makes them more honorable and mature than the "confused" people who are "humanist". This may be due to my living in the south, and more so because i am in the "bible belt" or "heart of dixie". Either way, the fact is that i cannot believe i have been so young and impressionable to have been persuaded to think that everyone i knew would vote for the other side, so why bother voting at all. I mean in my mother's "hometown" you can hardly utter a word about true demorcracy and freedom without some older person coming in and vanquishing your ideas by pounding you with their idea that there are "no gray areas" and that "freedom" is the product of governmental control.
Be reminded that I am not stating these as the beliefs of all republicans, only those who i encounter in my life. That is basically my account of a struggle to be heard in my region. It is the only reason I can think that my friends and equals have lost almost all, if not all, of their trust in the goverment.
So on a more positive note, I want to add for anyone who is understanding me that not only do we need change--we need to make it well known that things ARE CHANGING. I believe that for the people in my age group it is much more important that you SHOW the change you make, not just CLAIM that it is happening or has happened. Think of us as the biblical character Peter, if you must, who has to SEE it to believe it.
The most important point is that saying something like, "We Will Be Different," or "We want to reach out to the young people across the country . . ." absolutey will not suffice.
It is my personal understanding that though many people believe my age group to be rebellious or self-alienated the fact is that we are STRONG, INTELLIGENT, INDEPENDANT, and we can be VERY DRIVEN. It has not seemed to be easy to convince us of something if you cannot back your claims up. You cannot just reach out to us; you must embrace us. I honestly havent felt a strong indication that many of us are "followers", and I am happy to say that the young adults you see in the "Borat", or on any given program on MTV are not at all worthy representatives of us as a whole. We are not a whole!
Having stated that we are so diverse that we cannot really be thought of as a "whole" it is my intention to have someone recognize that we are so wide-spread in our views that we cannot be reached by one party alone any more so than people of faith can be adequately served by a single denomination.
I sincerely hope that my words are met with an open-mind because the world is changing rapidly and my generation feels left out in the sense that it mostly feels like people in authorative positions only persuade others of their same background. I would like to see a restored faith in the government. I want to see more optimism as a result of my equals KNOWING that they are heard and that they have helped (and can help) change the world.
After all, collectively we are going to play a major part in the future development of this country once we all decide to get involved and be pro-active -- so how about forgetting all of the things that have been done to make us turn against our leaders. I cannot stand seeing the country divided against itself, and it is sending a terrible message to my generation and those to come. It is absolutely detrimental to the future health of our citzens and country.
What we really need is to send a message that exudes the government's constant efforts to make this a better country for every single citzen as an important individual -- each as a special part of the elaborate masterpiece known as the "American Dream".
At last, there is someone running who is not thought of as a "completely lovable" or "instant winner" for the presidency. I honestly feel that we have major hurdles to clear in our effort for _____ as our next presidential leader, but if you can exude a a believable love for the american people there will be a historical victory, accompanied by a forgiving sigh of relief---that sigh from a country that knows it is finally in good hands.
Thank you for trying to change the world.