What NYRA said in DC
In our nation’s capital, youth rights activists came from as far away as Long Island to speak out for a lower voting age and an end to voter ID laws.
“America was founded on the idea that those who must obey the laws are entitled to a say in what the laws are,” declared NYRA Executive Director Bill Bystricky. “That’s what Thomas Jefferson meant by ‘consent of the governed.’ While no nation has ever been perfect in honoring that democratic ideal, America has a proud history of always moving closer to that goal, enfranchising new groups of Americans and expanding democracy. Today we are here to help move America another step forward.”
The rally has now ended, but the fight for voting rights marches on, and you can still be part of it. How? By organizing a local rally in your area and by sending a donation to help us make such events possible.
To organize a local Votes for Youth rally, just choose a day, find a few volunteers willing to help, publicize the date and time, and alert the media with some news releases. Send an email about it to NYRA’s Executive Director, and he will personally publicize it to NYRA-members in your area.
To send a contribution, go here.
NYRA will join with The American Civil Liberties Union of the Nation’s Capital and other youth rights activists for a Washington, DC rally to demand a lower voting age and an end to voter ID laws. We hope everyone will show their support, and there are several ways you can help.
NYRA-members still have time to vote in this year’s Board of Directors election. The candidates this year include some of the most heralded heroes and heroines in NYRA history – front line organizers, successful fundraisers, outstanding volunteers, and two former NYRA presidents as well as the current one – along with some exciting up-and-comers.
The most basic right people of any age have is the right to physical safety, the right not to be harmed or touched against your will. Yet there are public schools in America where students are routinely hit by the very authority figures entrusted to keep them safe. Even in 2012, corporal punishment is still legal in several states.

At one park in particular, however, there has been an increase in the amount of vandalism. City officials were quick to blame teenagers even though they have absolutely no idea who is perpetrating the vandalism. Hoping to put the community at ease they announced they were considering installing a SonicScreen – a device that emits a high pitched sound at 17.4 mhz and over 100 decibels. The only people who can hear such a sound are under the age of 25. NYRA, having experience with this issue, sent a letter to the City Council and Parks Commission of Hastings and cc’d local Minnesota press, igniting a flurry of stories about the proposed device. After a couple of meetings, most likely worried about potential legal challenges and charges of discrimination, the commission decided the SonicScreen was “overkill” and they followed NYRA’s suggestion of installing motion-activated flood lights instead.
defend their right to free speech. The first amendment does not enforce itself and it’s of critical importance that there exist organizations willing to fight for the right to speak. NYRA is pleased this month to announce that we have joined the
Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Presidential Candidate and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich were probably counting on that a few weeks ago when they made derogatory and public remarks about young people.
opportunity for our country to promote the cherished American value of press freedom to other countries around the world. Yet, cherished as this value is, the United States is in no position to lecture the rest of the world. Journalists are routinely censored, punished and silenced here in this country – student journalists.
For National Youth Rights Day, the chapter held an event on campus titled “Activism 101″, which taught a group of interested students some basic tactics and strategies to keep in mind when getting started in grassroots or nonprofit work.
and wait, we’re moving forward with two more cases this year.
Realizing that council members weren’t completely sold on the idea and that they clearly hadn’t seen 
