Ethan Weihl
Video Editor
On Dec. 18, 2019, President Donald Trump was impeached, becoming the third president in history to be accused of violating their oath of office.
This is a historic event, and, regardless of what your political leanings are, Trump is only the third president ever to be impeached, and the trial will have a profound effect on the future of America.
However, the significance of the impeachment has not been emphasized enough by the school. Teachers, specifically social studies classes, should spend more time teaching students about impeachment, so they are better informed about what is happening in their government.
Impeachment is a confusing process, and it’s important for students to know what’s going on. In addition, most seniors and some juniors will be able to vote in the upcoming 2020 election. New voters need to be educated about what impeachment means, so they are better informed at the ballot.
U.S. History teacher Julie Burchett has daily discussions with her students about the trial.
“I watch it and fill them in about what happened,” Burchett said.
Burchett also believes the impeachment should be a larger focus.
“It’s really of interest to the students,” Burchett said.
According to census.gov, only 46.1 percent of 18-29 year olds voted in the 2016 election. This is the lowest percentage out of any age demographic. This is unacceptable.
While there are a number of reasons why people are unable to vote, apathy should not be one of them.
It is also important to educate students on how to have thoughtful conversations with each other about controversial topics.
This would be a great time for students to build valuable skills that they will need for the rest of their lives. Having hard conversations will never go away, and being able to respectfully debate with others is something that adults do every day.
However, these conversations can be uncomfortable, and it’s important to make sure students feel both heard and respected.
There are a number of ways that the impeachment could be discussed in the classroom.
The most obvious connection would be in U.S. History and Government classes. It would be relatively simple to weave in discussions of the current trial with examples from the Johnson and Clinton impeachments.
In Psychology, students could show how certain psychological concepts are playing out on the Senate floor.
The impeachment is one of the defining moments of this generation, and the school should take more time to teach students about our government, as well as how to be good people.
Burchett also hopes that more students learn about this important event: “Because it is history.”
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Ethan Weihl – Video EditorThis is senior Ethan Weihl’s second year on ECHO Staff. He previously served as News Editor. He has not decided on college yet, but he wants to major in Political Science, History and/or Journalism. |
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