Katy Herpin is a varsity softball player, honors student, music enthusiast and… Republican? “It’s true. I can’t help it.”

Denouncing Bush and embracing Kerry appear to be commonplace with teens. There are bumper stickers and decorative pins with clever slogans mounted to messenger bags and cars.

"It’s the 'in' thing," Katy said. "But so often when someone finds that I support Bush they’re upset, like, 'He sucks!' but they can’t give any specific reasons for that opinion. Not all of them, but many, are just plain ignorant."

Katy’s views align with her political party of choice. What is striking about these opinions, however, is how they’ve formed. "I’m not very religious… It’s all just what I believe and what I feel is right."

Gay marriage is one such issue. "Homosexuality has been mainstreamed by the media. Shows like 'Will and Grace' totally influences people to be gay…Look at 'The Real World,'" she said of the cornerstone of all teenage television viewing. "There are gay people on it right now. It makes me uncomfortable. I don’t want to watch it." Bottom line? "Being gay or lesbian is not right."

Katy interns at a local radio station that primarily plays hip hop. But she is quick to add, "I don’t listen to music, though, that degrades women. Songs that casually use words like 'ho' and 'bitch' are just trash."

"Music is something so important to so many different people. There is certainly a social relevance [with hip hop]. It’s such a great form of expression, as well as an outlet for people coming from the streets."

When asked why so many teens don’t bother with politics, there is a pause. After a moment, she said: "I haven’t ever thought of that."

"I remember freshman year that (a teacher) told my class about a girl who was his student. This girl could tell you everything that had happened the night before on American Idol, but had no idea that, on that same night, we had gone to war in Iraq. How pathetic is that? I don’t want to that kind of person, I guess."

"(Politics have) just always been a part of my life. Everyone should be aware of what’s going on in the world. Ignorance really isn’t bliss."

Bottom line? "I want to be a voter." And after a moment, she added, "And I’ll vote Republican."

Friday afternoons for the typical high school student are spent watching the clock and waiting for that elusive final bell, signaling that the weekend has begun. This last Friday, however, was different for 16-year-old Robin Miller.

“I first heard about the protest in the hall and kids were passing out fliers. It was surprising that other kids were actually taking a stand on this. And so many people showed up!”

Robin is referring to the walk-out Lewis and Clark High School students staged last week to protest the war in Iraq. Upwards of 150 students left class and walked from LC to Riverfront Park, where they read peace poetry, and staged a ‘die-in’ to voice their opinion about the war in Iraq. “And what really was nice, everyone stayed the whole time, instead of just ditching class and going home. I think a lot of the administration thought the protest would just be used as an excuse to skip school.”

“I was interested in protesting because I feel morally opposed to war of any kind. But this one is founded on such unbelievable claims; we still haven’t found those weapons of mass destruction. My mother feels the same way I do, so she was glad to excuse me from school for the protest.”

“The organizers of this protest passed out slips of paper with the names of fallen soldiers along with their birthplaces and ages. My solider was 19, and it was so heartbreaking to know someone so young, with their entire life ahead of them, died in something so tragic. I can’t imagine my life ending in just three years… that’s so terrifying. I mean, I want to see the world, go to Europe, experience life to its fullest. I can’t imagine that being torn away from me.” Robin says.

Several students spoke about their personal experiences, families or friends who were serving our country. “Sometimes it doesn’t feel like people in Spokane are directly affected by what’s going on over there. But that really hit home, people who have loved ones overseas and in harm’s way.”

There seems to be no apathy present at this protest, kids all over sporting T-shirts and signs proclaiming their concern about the future of our country. “I think it’s an important election. I want to show the world that Bush messed up, and the American people don’t agree with him. I think that this protest in particular shows that young people are interested in our world, and that there are kids who realty don’t want Bush in office for another term.”

As for the day she’ll cast her ballot? “Heck yes I’ll vote! It’s the ultimate act of patriotism.”

Even for those teens who only briefly scan the nightly news, one issue is sure to incite heavy debate: gay marriage. "I am astonished that any president would ever support an amendment to our constitution that would discriminate against an entire group of people," says Sam. On this day, he is staying after school to help run the auditions for the student-run theater group at Lewis and Clark High School. At 6-foot-4, Sam stands pretty much head and shoulders over everyone else.

Sam also is at the top of his junior class academically, his studies comprised exclusively of honors and advanced placement courses. As a competitive swimmer, he practices before and after school and spends his weekends at competitions. By all measures, Sam is ideal: hard-working, good-natured, and very smart.

"I have had people come up to me that don’t know I'm gay. But they’ve said to me some very bigoted and insulting comments. If they were to know that I'm gay, they would take any chance they got to attack me. Even though, two hours prior they would have been totally friendly, you know?

"The argument against gay marriage is that it would violate the sanctity what our nation was founded upon. But that's flawed; it's an argument founded on emotional and religious beliefs."

People may agree that it’s pretty disheartening to hear of such a young person experiencing this particular stress, and perhaps even hurt, to their lives.

"It's the restriction of rights," Sam says, "I mean, the legal rights that come along with marriage are beneficial." What about civil unions, which have been favored by politicians who seem to desire a moderate reputation?

"Well, I wouldn’t be satisfied with just a civil union. There’s no difference between a 'civil union' and a 'marriage' besides that term. And they’re keeping that term, 'marriage,' separate between straights and gays. It’s discrimination. To me is says, 'Straight people are married, you can’t be married. We're just not going to let you use that term. We'll give you everything, but just not call it the same thing.' They’re not giving you the respect that a married male and female get. And that’s discrimination. That’s illegal."

As far as his views on voting: "I really think it’s a disservice to your country when you’re eligible to vote and do not vote. If only half the people in the country vote, than only half of the country are going to be represented… Voting is necessary to the success of a country."

Anna Dunn had been tearing up dance floors for years until she found debate. “I had been dancing classic ballet for years and didn’t think anything else could compare,” she says, “but then with high school came debate team, and the rest is history.”

Debate Teams offers a unique outlet for Anna, who admits, “I like to argue about things, especially topics I’m passionate about.” As years progressed, Anna’s personal ideals grew (“like any other teenager”) and she now considers that, “I substituted innocent childhood opinions for more knowledgeable, educated ones.”

In her words, Anna is tired of talking about the war. “Yes, I’m against it! But there’s so much more to focus on. There are other issues with the upcoming election. And I care strongly about those, too.”

One such issue is abortion. She immediately identifies herself as pro-choice and clarifies by saying, “But if someone is sexually promiscuous and practices unsafe sex, then uses abortion as a contraceptive, that’s not cool. Abortion isn’t to be taken lightly… But it’s a woman’s right to choose.”

A favorite, perhaps hot-button, issue that Anna’s particularly passionate about is gay marriage. “There is a separation of church and state,” she explains, “All people have the freedom to love who they wish. And if that means a person of the same sex, so be it.” Though she laments, “For religious reasons, I tend to favor civil unions. But the same rights should be offered to same-sex couples as heterosexuals.”

And is this a typical belief among high school students? “There are a lot of young people who don’t want to be associated with the gay community in any way, and that’s sad. Homophobia shouldn’t prevent more people from speaking up. It’s an issue that affects everyone. Do you want to live in a country where your neighbors or friends or even family members are seen as somehow lesser citizens because of their sexual orientation?”

With Debate, Ballet, Drill Team, and a full class load, Anna still finds time to educate herself about American politics. If she were to vote tomorrow? “Kerry all the way! He’s the lesser of two evils.”

"To be honest, I find politics confusing," says the 16-year-old Lewis and Clark art student. "It just seems like (becoming involved in politics) at this age can be easily disappointing."

Adrienne may not understand the complexities of the political arena, but she is certainly not ill-informed. She peppers our conversation with earnest consideration of world affairs, dashing the stereotype of a single-minded, Bush-bashing hipster.

"I think that AIDS, it's such a severe disease as opposed to like… well, there’s always going to be evil people, like Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. But maybe there won’t always have to be AIDS. I think supporting human life is more important than the war on terror. If we put money and effort into, it’s something that can definitely be conquered."

The conflict in Iraq is not referenced directly, and it isn’t until I bring up the subject that she relents and talks about the controversial topic. "I mean, I think I’d be willing to die for my country, but killing for my country is a whole different issue. I just couldn’t do it."

As an artist for most of her life, she has witnessed political and social concern. "Especially older kids, (high school) seniors, feel strongly about something and they express it… the war, the homeless."

And does Adrienne channel her feelings into her own art? "I think it’s different for different people," Adrienne explains, "I do a lot of abstract work, I don’t try to be very controversial or political at all. It’s not really my thing."

Although it may not be her "thing" now, when I question her feelings on voting, she declares, "Yes! I’m totally going to be a voter! I get to, I mean, I’m American."

It may be hard to take our voices seriously. I note this when I’m watching a rerun of MTV’s The Real World, wherein young people are constantly bickering about superficial issues, obsessing about the hottest nightclub opening, and paying literally no attention to world affairs. This episode features Housemate Robin being arrested for battery and Housemate Brad being arrested for public drunkenness on the same night. Classy!

So I understand that popular culture doesn’t exactly promote a quality image of young America. But while it isn’t fair to assume everyone underage is also incompetent, what real significance do we have anyway? Being too young to vote seems to also mean too young to care. Why is this? After all, it’s our nation. And in times like these, the decision makers of today are changing the lives of tomorrow.

“Tomorrow’s America” will be a forum for pre-voter’s view of American politics, in whatever relevance they hold. I’ll be speaking with young people in and around the community, finding what it is about our country that they want to reform or defend. This is a medium for our issues, our concerns, and our America.