Empowering Youth and Assuring the Future

C. Ronald Baird
Baird, Lightner, Millsap & Harpool, P.C.
Springfield
Recently I was invited to listen to Coach Bob Knight speak. Most of you will know who I am talking about. He is a legendary basketball coach, but he may be better known for his personality – in direct contrast to another college basketball coaching legend, the always subdued John Wooden. While all of us would know them as famous coaches, Coach Knight told the audience that, throughout his life, on all job applications or resumes he always listed his profession as “teacher” and John Wooden acknowledges he is an educator. They both had the opportunity to empower young, talented individuals by teaching the fundamentals of the “game” and then allowing them to engage in the “game.”

These two men came to mind last month as we marked Law Day, U.S.A. The theme of this year’s Law Day celebration was “Liberty Under Law: Empowering Youth, Assuring Democracy.” But how do you empower someone – especially our youth?

I submit that we empower our youth by teaching them the fundamentals of our democratic form of government and then encouraging them to engage in the process in our communities.

The idea of knowledge and engagement as a foundation for our democracy is not a new idea or a new concept. James Madison could very well have been addressing this very subject when he wrote in 1788:

A popular government without popular information or the means of acquiring it is but a prologue to Farce or Tragedy or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own Governors must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives.

This year’s Law Day theme rightly recognizes that the future of our nation is not only in our hands, but also in the hands of our young people. After all, the next generation will be the stewards of our communities, our state and our nation in extraordinarily critical times. The present and future well being of our society requires an involved, caring citizenry with both the desire and the ability to embrace the civic values that our government represents.

How do we get the youth of today to engage in citizenship? How do we make them feel that they can make a difference on an issue or influence the process? How do we deal with their belief that what they do does not matter? As lawyers we must be vigilant that our youth are educated on how this democracy works and that they engage themselves in the process.

Authorities tell us that young people who have a solid civics education are more knowledgeable and willing to engage; they become more interested in what is going on in their communities, state and nation; they vote and they participate; and they are willing to both join in the debate and to consider all positions on an issue.

So, how can we best reach young people and plant the seeds that will not only spur their continued interest in civic responsibility, but also prompt them to play an active, involved role as participants in an expanding, pluralistic society where citizenship, social responsibility, human rights, sense of community, and mutual respect are inseparable?

I would suggest that perhaps the best way to address this situation is to combine traditional civic education – basic and necessary knowledge about the way our democracy works – with giving young people the opportunity to learn from community engagement. They should have the chance to study, investigate and explore all issues as a normal part of their overall learning experiences – both inside and outside of the classroom.

How can we, as members of the bar, contribute to this process of empowering our youth – and adults, for that matter? By involving them in those areas where they already come into contact with the legal system.

Can there be any doubt that the ways in which young people experience the law and courts – including lawyers and court personnel – during their first contacts will affect their lifetime perception of the American justice system?

As citizens – and, more specifically, as members of the bar – we can all play a critical role in giving our young people a real say in the legal system as it applies to their needs and concerns. The application of the rule of law should be a positive participatory experience for vulnerable youth.

As officers of the court and community leaders, we are in a unique position to empower our youth. For example, you can facilitate this process by:

• Addressing what you feel are any concerns regarding the unmet needs of youth within the justice system;

• Working to ensure that community mental health systems offer greater access to youth and their caretakers;

• Incorporating a “positive youth development” approach into programs aiding youth to help them develop a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and empowerment, facilitate adult-youth connections, and aid them in choosing healthy, productive lifestyles;

• Facilitating better cross-agency coordination of youth services;

• Protecting youth rights to privacy and confidentiality;

• Serving as youth mentors, thereby providing a positive role model and an opportunity for youth to make long-needed supportive connections with caring adults; and

• Becoming more involved in the child welfare system as foster parents or volunteer Court-Appointed Special Advocates.

When you engage in these activities, you put a face and a positive influence on how this system of ours works, and you give it integrity. You provide knowledge and understanding, and with it you empower those persons involved. You give them the tools they need to understand that they have a role to play in the ongoing improvement of that system, either individually or in cooperation with others. And can there be anything more necessary, or more rewarding, than successfully making a connection to our youth?

And we must all be directly involved in the formal educational process. Go into classrooms – visit the schools and volunteer to make presentations to the classes in your local schools. Become involved in not only Law Day activities, but also Constitution Day and Bill of Rights Day. Be active with your school boards.

There is a story, often told, that upon exiting the Constitutional Convention Dr. Benjamin Franklin was approached by a group of citizens asking what sort of government the delegates had created. His answer was: “A republic, if you can keep it.” The brevity of that response should not cause us to ignore its essential meaning: Democratic republics are not merely founded upon the consent of the people; they are absolutely dependent upon the active and informed involvement of the people for their continued good health.

We must do everything in our power to assure that our youth are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively make their voices heard within our democracy. We will all benefit from that effort, as it will help to preserve and improve our system of self-government and narrow the gap between the ideals of our nation and our achievement of those ideals. Indeed, by providing students with the finest education we possibly can devise – both in schools and through real-world experiences – we can help ensure their personal future and the future of this nation that they will shape and lead far into the next century.

Democracy is our legacy to uphold. It will survive, one generation to another, but only if we instill in each succeeding generation the ability to cherish our highest honor and greatest responsibility – that of “citizen.” When the time comes to pass that torch to the next generation, let’s make sure each of us is able to say that we did our part in empowering our youth and assuring democracy.