America has come to a crossroads in time and although it depends on what you've observed, the part of the world in which you've lived your life, and other personal things, many patriots look at the future in America with great pessimism.

And why not? The music, television and movie idols out there don't leave room for much optimism. It also seems that the young generation, the people you look to for hope and optimism, are nowhere to be seen for a passionate role in our culture.

Another aspect that gives reason for pessimism is that politics and government are low in the priorities of a lot of my-and possibly your-peers. Some of you homeschoolers know what I'm talking about; you have an interest in politics, but your friends have no inclination toward politics.

Although there is a minority of young people who have a passion for American values, the attitude which surrounds this generation is a know-it-all, apathetic personality which does little to get anything done - nearly identical to previous generations.

Yet, something must be done.

If you look at the degradation of this nation, you obviously know that the socialist stronghold was obtained by a long and drawn-out process of gaining power little by little - slowly turning the tide to socialism.

The same must be done, but in reverse. You know what the fight is for: the governmental philosophy of the founders and the forgotten document called the "Constitution." The philosophy of self, limited government-a constitutional republic-going hand in hand with morality, based on God's guidelines. That is, at its root, what I'm fighting for and what American values are really all about. In reality, a wide-scale revolution can only succeed if the people are educated, which makes my generation and future generations so important.

Face it. My parents' generation failed in making anything better, and my grandparents' generation failed to circumvent the massive decline in America. The so-called Greatest Generation did their part in defending our nation from the external threats of Europe and the evils of the Nazi Empire, and they kept our nation alive during the tough times. Yet, they failed to uphold the Constitution at home. Worse, they failed to educate their children in the ideals of America and the way to internally preserve our nation. The result of this folly is a great disconnect between previous generations' love and appreciation of the Constitution and our present dislike and hatred for it.

A Role For Young Men and Women

These failures lead us young people to a do-or-die situation. The mantle has been dropped before, but it must not be dropped again. We're at a crossroads, and we have to follow through. If the coming generation is worse or equal to the baby boomers and Gen X, we're in deep trouble. The irresponsibility and immaturity of those generations boggle the mind. Not to bash or lecture anyone, but look at the state of our nation now. Who has been in charge of it? Those generations.

This puts all freedom-loving Americans at a crossroads. We are fighting against external threats to our nation, but will we fight the threat from the future? This crossroads is between a turn to American values and freedom, based upon the Constitution and a socialist nation, with the loss of many freedoms. A continual degradation of American values and freedom is the real internal threat against this great nation. Most specifically, my generation holds the keys to destruction and success.

Obviously, the future is dependent upon young people. Therefore, young people should get involved in politics. However, a lot of Americans don't think that's a good idea. We should simply leave young people out of it.

Shouldn't the youth of the nation remain innocent and not become involved in the stressful world, they wonder. No. Is that a hate-filled comment on the fringe? Definitely not. The point is, the youth of this nation aren't innocent in the first place. Any kid that is aware of so-called entertainment is not innocent at all. You have teen "idol" Britney who can't seem to keep her clothes on; you have MTV, which is filled with [ungodly people] left and right and an overwhelming message of sex; and then you have the Internet, which is filled with pornography traps and inappropriate junk-mail messages. Not to mention the language that is used in nearly every movie that hits the widescreen and even programs on public TV.

Young people are not innocent, so don't pretend that.

Next, what about the charge of indoctrination or brainwashing that will inevitably come with parents or organizations teaching young people about politics? Rubbish. Grounding a person in the opinion of which he is raised and swaying a person from one opinion to another is not brainwashing. My Webster's defines brainwashing as "a forcible indoctrination to induce someone to give up basic political, social, or religious beliefs and attitudes and to accept contrasting regimented ideas," or "persuasion by propaganda."

Young people are just as free to reject their parents' teachings as accept them, and an organization formed and run by adults that is in existence for upcoming political generations is not brainwashing. No one is forced to join such groups, which serve a great purpose in mentoring and helping those who are interested in politics and government.

There really is no logical argument against the involvement of young Americans in politics.

Three Crucial Steps to Fight

There are three crucial steps to this fight for freedom in America: first, education; second, responsibility; third, getting involved-they should all come in order.

First, education should provide a ground for your beliefs. I have taken a semester course in my homeschooling for Constitutional Law. I have read and studied the Declaration of Independence, Federalist Papers, the writings of James Madison and Thomas Jefferson and other founding documents. These historical studies, coupled with daily attention to current events and politics have given me everything I need to know for American politics. This may seem like a lot, but if you take it a step at a time, it's really not much and can become fun and exciting.

Second, responsibility is based upon education. Responsibility and patriotism are the same in this respect: knowing and seeing what's at stake and rising to the challenge for the good of the country. By paying attention to politics and taking the steps necessary for education, you know exactly what must be done and what's at stake.

Additionally, responsibility is the basis for a Constitutional Republic. That is, instead of relying upon government to solve all your problems and endorsing bloated government social programs, you simply take advantage of the freedom in America and do what's right and good.

Third, getting involved is based upon education, responsibility and patriotism. Below are some simple ways:

Join or Form a Community Political Group

The first would be the local Young Republicans affiliate. The group meets once a month at the local library or a cafe to address political issues and listen to politicians and activists speak. Much is gained, and it allows you to learn how to speak in public as well as become involved in local, state, and even national politics.

There are also countless state-level political groups that you can join. In addition, where a preexisting group may not be present, forming a group is not all that difficult.

Paging

Get in touch with your state senator or representative, and find out about paging for the legislature. A page is usually put to work by doing chores for the representative or senator in the state legislature while it is in session-a perfect way to learn about the legislative system.

Communication in Writing

One of the most powerful ways to communicate a belief, viewpoint, or agenda is through the written word. These thoughts can then be published and delivered to the masses, causing potentially huge influence. This, of course, depends on the size of readership, but since the invention of the Gutenberg press, a revolution in delivery of news and information began.

Now, we have such venues as daily state and national newspapers for political discourse and information. This allows for an opportunity to write letters to the editor and commentary that can shape viewpoints, allow for political discussion, and possibly, change opinions.

In addition, getting your thoughts and ideas into public view can stimulate and encourage others who have the same values. This is where the great importance of the YOUNG PATRIOTS column comes into play. Homeschoolers have a great opportunity to be involved in many things, but specifically the opportunity to write. Homeschooling allows for extra time to do such things and the opportunity to take advantage of contests like the YOUNG PATRIOTS is vital to turning the tide of public opinion. Many of you may be unsure of where to start in getting involved in politics and simply writing a piece for this column is an awesome place to start.

Volunteering

In order to become involved in politics, you need experience and knowledge. There are two types of knowledge: knowledge from experience and knowledge from secondhand experiences in stories and books. Both are equally valuable, but as indicated by the criticism I receive (and I get quite a bit), knowledge from experience is more valuable to the critics. Yet if your opinions are true, just, and right, it doesn't matter how you get to those conclusions, though some may, and probably do, disagree.

However, in order to receive knowledge and experience in politics, volunteering is one of the greatest ways to do that. In the political arena, finding places and campaigns to volunteer for is quite possibly the easiest thing to do. Local, state, and national candidates will welcome anyone with open arms to do nearly any job that helps the campaign. From calling possible voters, manning phones, putting out signs, to going door to door, helping to organize rallies and doing miscellaneous chores, it's not hard to find a position that works for you.

Conclusion

This whole column has been primarily addressed to all teens of any group, but what I wish to emphatically mention is that all homeschoolers have an opportunity that is second to none. First, homeschoolers have the time to be involved in politics. Second, homeschoolers have the blessing of a great and above-average education in most cases. Lastly, homeschoolers have the support they need to get involved.

Therefore, I urge you to fight for America by learning the founding values, recognizing the responsibility and patriotism needed and following through by acting on that patriotism and getting involved in politics.

Our generation may yet be the true Greatest Generation-if only we can get our act together.