…Emma Axelrod, Sammi Siegel, and Elena Tsemberis — three high school students — started a campaign on Change.org earlier this summer asking the Commission on Presidential Debates to select a female moderator, after learning in their high school civics class at Montclair High School that a woman has not moderated a U.S. general election presidential debate since 1992. Today, August 13, the Commission announced that CNN’s Candy Crowley will moderate the second presidential debate on October 16. Full Story >>
Category: Acts of Citizen Leadership
In an Act of Citizen Leadership…
…10 year-old Milo Cress started BeStrawFree, a website that encourages restaurants to cut plastic waste by not automatically offering plastic straws to customers. “I’m not out to ban plastic straws,” he said. “Just cut back on them. Way back, if possible.” Full story >>
In an Act of Citizen Leadership…
…Abby Goldberg, of Grayslake, Ill collects 155,000 signatures to petition Gov. Pat Quinn not sign legislation (SB 3442) that would make it illegal for her town — or any other one statewide — to ban the use of plastic bags. Abby is 12 years old. She explained to the Chicago Sun-Times. “You can make a difference no matter how old you are.” Full story >>
In an Act of Citizen Leadership…
…Ryan Slezia, a former student at Texas A&M, mobilized over 650 current students to block a planned protest of a soldier’s funeral by the mean-spirited members of the Westboro Baptist Church. Full story >>
In An Act of Citizen Leadership…
…Zach Whals, a 19-year-old University of Iowa student, addressed the Iowa Legislature about the strength of his family headed by his two moms. Mr. Whals spoke with conviction before the House of Representatives in an effort to dissuade and even admonish its members intent on amending that state’s constitutional and repealing the existing right of Iowa same-sex couples to marry.
In my past blog posts, I have regularly described a citizen leader as the man, the woman, the young adult and the teen who applies their character, their convictions and their courage to speak up, take action and lead efforts that contribute to the community and serve the common good.
In this video of his address, Zach Whals shows us what citizen leadership looks like, feels like and sounds like.
In an era when we are all being assaulted by others’ agendas, tempted with profit, prestige and personal gain, or taunted by peer pressure and political expediency, it is our job to be solidly grounded in who we are and how we want to be in the world, and have the courage to stick by that.