Voting Education In U.S. Public High Schools

Voting education in high schools is essential to young voters’ involvement in elections. However, there is some debate as to whether U.S. public schools are adequately preparing students to be involved in the electoral process. Schools play a central role in education and civic engagement, and as many have argued, should be doing more to promote such engagement.

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Op-EdArvind Salem
Michigan's 2024 Primary Elections

Primary season is starting, most notably the Michigan primaries are on Tuesday, Feb. 27th. The Democrats pushed up the date of the primaries and the Republicans fought back and introduced a two-step voting system. Now, polls are pointing in one direction, but no candidates have shown any signs of dropping out.


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AnalysisArvind Salem
Far-Right Extremists Gaining Momentum in Upstate New York

In the last few years, right-wing extremists have recruited more and distributed more propaganda posters in Upstate New York. Cynthia Miller-Idriss, director of the Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab, said there’s been an increase in harassment and violence by extremists. In the North Country Region, local, state, and even federal positions are being occupied by more Republicans. These extremists have called for their supporters to “get involved” with the militia movement.
The Constitutional Sheriffs are a movement which teaches sheriffs not to observe laws which they themselves deem as “unconstitutional” . They claim that local police should make the final decision in enacting laws, not the federal government. Critics say this interpretation has “no grounding in any legitimate reading of constitutional history.”

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Current EventsArvind Salem
The Parents' Rights Movement: A Divisive Issue in Montgomery County

The Parents' Rights Movement is nothing short of a game-changer in today's social and political landscape. It's a rallying cry for asserting parental authority in the face of what many see as encroachments on traditional family values. Born out of concerns about government overreach, especially in matters concerning education, the movement has become a hot topic in the United States. It's sparked heated debates on issues like sex education, LGBTQ+ rights, and the role of the state in shaping children's upbringing. One of the greatest curiosities of the movement has been the temporary ceasefire it has created, where religious factions, who might normally be at odds, are banding together to safeguard parental rights. The parents' rights movement has emerged as a decisive force even in relatively moderate states like Virginia, where it played a pivotal role in Glenn Youngkin's surprising victory over the liberal former governor Terry McAuliffe. Even in areas known for their liberal leanings, such as Montgomery County, this movement has sparked significant divisions, underscoring its far-reaching impact across the political spectrum.

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Current EventsArvind Salem
Biden and the Muslim Vote

With the recent events in Gaza and the Biden’s administration’s response. Muslim and Arab voters are in large numbers turning away from Biden. There are 3.5 million Muslims live in the United States as of 2017 with at least 71% of Muslim Americans are registered to vote. A poll from Emgage, a Muslim-American Civic Engagement organization, conducted a study revealing only 5% of Muslim and Arab Americans say they plan to Vote for Biden in the 2024 presidential election, which is a significant decrease from the 86% who supported him after he won the presidency in 2020. This may have set Biden up for failure in many key swing states.

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