“The real adults in the room are the youth from
Parkland, Florida, who are speaking out about the need
for meaningful gun control laws. They are proving that
civic engagement among young people can make a
difference. The ironic part? They can’t even vote yet.”
So says Joshua Douglas, a law professor specializing in
election law, voting rights and constitutional law. He
believes that lowering the voting age, coupled with
better civics education, can energize a whole new
generation of smart civic leaders. He says,
“Unfortunately, a tragedy happened, but the response at
Stoneman Douglas High is showing that youth in this
country can and should have a significant role in
political debate. The students are fed up with our
politicians and are using their voices to demand
change.” Joshua Douglas is a law professor at the
University of Kentucky College of Law. He is the co-
editor of “Election Law Stories” and is currently
writing a new book on positive voting rights
enhancements. Contact him at (859) 257-4935;
joshuadouglas@uky.edu
