Op-Ed: America's Youth Have Lost Hope and Are Looking For Change

By Daniel A. Wetter

What are kids worrying about right now? What Justin Bieber's next hair-do will look like? Whether the cast of the Jersey Shore will lose their tans?

It’s not even close. A new national survey shows that most young Americans are worried about how the national debt is going to impact the future of the United States.

According to a new study from Generation Opportunity, 62 percent of millennials believe our national security is threatened by the extraordinary national debt -- now at almost $15 trillion. Millennials are identified as Americans between the ages of 18 and 29-years-old.

Generation Opportunity is an organization dedicated to educating youth about the long-term economic challenges facing the nation.

Their study found 66 percent of people my age indicated "very big concerns" over the country's financial debt. Very alarmingly, more than half (54 percent) are not confident that the U.S. will be a global power in ten years.

On addressing America's dependence on foreign oil, 70% would increase the production of domestic energy sources like oil, natural gas, and coal. And 76 percent believe China is a threat to the United States.

So what would Millennials do to restore America's fiscal responsibility? 76 percent of young Americans say they would cut spending.

The message is pretty clear. The next generation doesn't like where this country is headed and they do not like how President Obama is leading this nation.

Honestly, I'm relieved by the study. I'm just glad I'm not the only young person who is discouraged by this president.

President Obama promised us hope and change. Unfortunately, for my generation, we can no longer trust the president to get the job done.

Daniel Wetter runs The Teen Conservative website, www.theteenconservative.com