By Lilly Salcedo,
Duncanville High School
Youth and Government is a program that gives young students the voice to enact change for what they believe is the best for an evolving society. The Legislative branch of this organization gives the students that opportunity to exercise this practice of speaking out for their beliefs.
This group allows students to bring enlightenment on issues they find important and make a change for the better. This freedom is definitely a spectrum where people can exercise whatever they see fit; however, it can be taken to a different turn.
Ethan Matz, a McKinney Legislative delegate, introduced an interesting bill regarding a most surprising idea: feet. The bill’s basis is redefining indecent exposure to include the exposure of feet and declaring an emergency. The room embraced the uniqueness of this bill through curious questions. Even in the official systematic government environment, Matz was able to connect with his fellow delegates and invoke laughter into the conversation.
This bill may have drawn many curious reactions and spurred questions on the need for such an idea, but the bill really spoke to the people! The ever-ambitious Matz tried his best to fight for his bill to get passed in his committee, and he succeeded! Now he has a chance to pass it at the house of representatives!
In a government where the environment surrounding the idea of politics is always hard news, this refreshing exercise on the power we have as citizens has reminded us that the clarity of our democracy is truly what we make of it. Whether the debate be over the most minor things like making vanilla ice cream the national ice cream flavor to the professionalism of toe exposure. This process just goes to show how much power a person with a voice can have. Hopefully this gives you confidence to speak up, even if the issue is about something very far out like our feet!
Ethan Matz before his bill presentation at the House of Representatives