Teens challenged to become legislative advocates

Get up, teens! Kathleen Gallagher wants you on your feet.

In her office at the New York State Catholic Conference in Albany, she is balancing precariously on a single high heel while illustrating the "Two Feet of Christian Service."

"This foot," she says, "is direct service -- volunteering your time to directly help people in need. But that's just one foot. You can't get your balance or go forward until you step on the other foot. That's social action, or changing the laws to help people on a broader scale."

Mrs. Gallagher -- director of pro-life activities for the Conference, which is the state bishops' public policy arm -- lobbies state lawmakers on such issues as abortion, cloning and the death penalty. These days, she's also engaging in a different kind of lobbying: convincing teens to get involved with political advocacy through the Catholic Advocacy Network.

Involved teen

Mrs. Gallagher's voice is being heard by teens like Ben Henderson, 15, of Christ the King parish in Westmere.

"I didn't realize that you could send emails to [legislators] and that they could actually read them and not think that it's just some kids fooling around," he said. "If people put their voices together, they can make an impact on certain legislative decisions being made."

Teens often think that they don't have a voice because they don't vote yet -- something that is patently untrue, said Mrs. Gallagher. In reality, most legislators consider seriously the words of young people because "teens are the voters of tomorrow," she explained. "Teens will keep them in office -- or take them out."

Active teen

Robert Mietlicki, 16, a member of Corpus Christi parish in Round Lake, is deeply involved with political activism. A senior at LaSalle Institute in Troy, he will attend the Youth Congress on Social Justice during the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC), which will be held later this month.

While teens at his parish are very service-oriented, he said, many of his peers at school seem "apathetic" about law and government.

"No one knows what they're supposed to be advocating for," he said. "One of the guys [going to NCYC] referred to the Catholic social teachings as the great secret of the Church, and I think that's what they are. If teens don't know what they are, then teens can't advocate for them."

Recruiting peers

Robert, a member of the Catholic Advocacy Network, regularly emails his legislators when he receives Network notifications on issues he's concerned about, such as the death penalty and the partial-birth abortion ban.

He wants to attend law school and become a lobbyist. His immediate goal, however, is to set up a social justice program at LaSalle. While students do an admirable job with direct service, he said, they need to see that service in a bigger picture.

"Most of the people that do the service don't know what they're doing or why," he said. "So, the first thing I would want is to have discussion times before and after the service, so people know why they're doing it."

Big plans

Robert is also planning to invite guest speakers and arrange resources to "get information to the students so they know how they can effect change," he said.

"I don't know if I'm going to be able to get it all done in the three to four months until I graduate. I just want to set up a framework so that someone else can take it over and do some of the specifics when I'm gone."

He also hopes to organize some of his peers to attend the Public Policy Forum in March, when hundreds of Catholics gather at the State Legislature in Albany to lobby on issues of concern to the Catholic Church. There, Mrs. Gallagher holds a special workshop for youth delegates.

"I like to reinforce to the young people that you may think your voice doesn't count -- but even the smallest voice can save the world," she said.

Being heard

According to Beth Drumm, 15, of St. James Church in Chatham, many teens don't know how potent their voices really are.

"Even if we just sent in one letter to a representative or senator, it really makes a difference," she said.

Added Mrs. Gallagher: "All you need is 10 to 20 letters on the same subject [from a legislator's constituents], and your legislator will take notice. Sure, money speaks. Sure endorsements talk. But, ultimately, when the rubber hits the road, it's the people that matter."

Lobbying easy via website

Kathleen Gallagher of the New York State Catholic Conference uses a number of tools, including Dr. Seuss books, action figures and games, to get her message about social responsibility across to teens. You matter, she tells them; write your legislators, and stand up for what you believe as a Catholic in the face of those who make the decisions.

"I find teenagers to be very receptive to the whole idea of political advocacy," she said. "They look around at the world and say, 'I want to make it a better place.' These issues are going to be decided by the government, whether we like it or not."

She invites teens to join the Catholic Advocacy Network, an electronic system that notifies members when there's an issue of concern being discussed in the Legislature.

Members can then go online to the Catholic Conference website to send pre-set and changeable letters to their legislators. When teens enter their own name and address, software locates their legislator's address. Then, with the click of a button, their voice is added to others with similar concerns.

For more information on the Catholic Advocacy Network, go to www.nyscatholic.org. (KD)

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