(October 31, 2000) — As Nov. 7 approaches and Americans consider the issues that the candidates have presented, it seems that teens don’t care much about politics, according to Teen People. After polling numerous students, Teen People discovered that more than half aren’t interested in the “P” word, and that one in five wouldn’t even bother to vote if they could. About two-thirds doubts whether the government cares about what people think, and only a handful thinks politicians are honest. The more interesting question to ask is, “What is there to like about politics if you’re 17?” Politicians keep promising (lying) that they’re going to help middle-class students pay for college; instead this financial assistance ends up in the pockets of affluent Americans. Politicians have perpetuated the myth that teens are drug addicts, projecting images, via a compliant media, of today’s teenagers as practicing junkies, when in reality, few teens progress beyond the odd lungful of cigarette smoke. From the look of public opinion, teens are a kind of human waste, to be swept from the streets, parks and shopping malls. If they’re contributing to the economy, spending their allowances, then fine. Otherwise, they’re a problem. After all that politics has done for teenagers, why would today’s youth be expected to have an interest in politics when politics clearly has no interest in them?