As the 2008 election approaches, the major candidates seem to be focusing on the War in Iraq . This is a very important present issue. But what about the future? Out of the issues America will soon be facing, two very prominent problems are the energy crisis and quality of education.

The Earth’s oil supply is drying up. The ozone holes are growing. In a few decades we will be forced to find other energy sources, and the environmental effects will become more apparent. Science has dire predictions for the future; however, oil proves to be too lucrative to worry world powers.

In the meantime with less ozone to block sunlight, issues linked to sun exposure will likely increase. This could add yet another problem to the already crumbling healthcare system. And with our dependency on oil, it will be hard to adjust so quickly to a major oil shortage. Other fuel sources exist, and we need to increase the cultivation of those sources now in order to be ready for later.

Education shapes the future. With our current education system, what will our future be like? When third-world countries are developing, if they are to be successful, one of their biggest priorities is to educate the people. History has shown us that education can help change third-world countries into major world players. The main focus in American education seems to be math and science. America is far from the top in math and science scores, but maybe that isn’t the issue.

Do not forget that America still dominates the world economy. Math and science scores alone do not make a country great. New legislation is going to require more math and science credits in high school. But legislation cannot make people excel in these areas. Those who are naturally inclined in those areas will take the extra credits on their own. Those who are not naturally inclined will take the credits and perhaps not do very well. That is not to say that people shouldn’t try to strengthen the areas they are weak in. But students can only take so many classes. These types of requirements may take away the classes where some of these students are the strongest. Not everyone is going to be a scientist or mathematician. 

But math and science are important to teach people how to think. Critical thinking is one of the problems with the American school system. Instead of challenging students to rise to higher standards, education is lowering the standards for them. This does not make students think. Literature is revised and put into a low comprehension level. Students are not learning more accelerated vocabulary and at the same time are not able to appreciate the beauty and meaning of the author’s work. Education is meant to challenge and help people grow in knowledge.

Despite all the other issues in American politics, these stand out as two that will greatly affect not only the future of the United States but also the future of the world. In this global economy we must all work together to solve the energy crisis, and America must keep progressing in education. The world is moving forward. But are we standing still? As James Harold Wilson said, “He who rejects change is the architect of decay.”

Ordinary people are capable of doing extraordinary things.  Citizens of the United States voted in 535 ordinary men and women who make decisions in the U.S. capital that affect the lives of over 301,325,000 people.  The men and women voting in the U.S. capital make decisions that affect our daily life like the amount of money taken out of our paychecks, the highway system we use to travel, the fuel efficiency of our modes of transit, and the quality of the air in which we breathe in each day.  Even though the 535 men and women who vote in the U.S. capital have the official say on what becomes a law, the citizens are the ones who are ultimately responsible for keeping the elected officials accountable for acting on issues that the people of this country believe are important.  Citizens are coming together to vocalize issues that are affecting millions of Americans.  If I could address Congressional candidates in Washington , I would identify health care and environmental policy as the top two issues today.

The 535 men and women who vote in the U.S. capital have enormous control over our health and well-being.  The government controls the fate of medical research, the future of health insurance, and the future of medicine.  Health care is one of the most important domestic issues today.  Congress allocated $29 billion to the National Institutes of Health; however, spending cuts last year reduced funding to the National Cancer Institute, so now cancer researches have a much harder chance of getting funding.  The country may see a shortage of researches because of the cuts.  With about 46.6 million people in the U.S. living without healthcare insurance, people are concerned and want a change in health care policy.  The cost of health insurance and medical bills continue to rise, and middle and lower class families want to afford healthcare without going bankrupt.  As the politicians in Washington discuss the future of health insurance, we need to remind our elected leaders about the millions of uninsured Americans and support a solution that helps everyone.  The U.S. spends less than six cents of every health care dollar on research to prevent or treat illness; therefore, we need to persuade our leaders to increase spending on health care in order to preserve and save lives.  Every American works hard and deserves the opportunity to receive quality health care.

Many Americans also are noticing the effects of another very important issue, the environment.  Americans are addicted to foreign oil.  Not only is the addiction hurting our pockets but also the air we breathe.  The fuel economy of U.S. automobiles is one of the worst in the world behind countries in Europe and Asia .  With a greater fuel economy, we will burn less fossil fuels such as gasoline or diesel that contribute to a number of environmental problems such as air pollution (smog) and global climate change.  In addition, spills from transporting oil and petroleum products damage ecosystems and pollute groundwater and streams.  Besides Australia , the United States is the only country that signed the Kyoto Protocol but refused to ratify the protocol that calls for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.  Preserved areas like Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Parks are hurting because of new roads and poor air quality.  The industrial tourism is hurting the beautiful National Parks.  Americans are concerned about the environment, so we need to look to other forms of energy like electricity that are already highly efficient and available in order to break our addiction to foreign oil.  Americans realize the importance of keeping the air clean and preserving green space, but we need the help of our elected officials in Washington to make these important issues into laws.

The 535 men and women voting in the U.S. capital have the power to make laws, but the other 300,000,000 of us have the ability and power to influence the decision making of our elected officials.  We all are ordinary people. If we work together, we can work to solve two of the biggest issues today, health care and the environment.  Without citizens engaging in the conversation, candidates table issues and many times nothing gets accomplished. If I had the opportunity to address Congressional candidates in Washington , I would vocalize the importance of solving the health care crisis and problems concerning the environment.  All Americans want to be healthy and breathe in clean air, and we can solve these two overwhelming issues by working together.