AMY GOODMAN: You’re listening to Democracy Now! The Exception to the Rulers. And today is the 25th anniversary of 18-year-olds being able to vote in this country. I’m Amy Goodman, and we’re joined by three first-time voters. They’re joining us from our sister station in Berkeley, KPFA. They’re Chad Andre Reed, Jacinda Abcarian and Lenora Reyes.

And we welcome you to Democracy Now! Well, why don’t we begin with Chad Andre Reed? Tell us about who you’re going to vote for today.

CHAD ANDRE REED: OK. I’m voting for Clinton today, because I feel that he’s the best president to go with, as far as he knows what direction that the country will be going in down the line and entering the 20th century — 21st century. And I feel that all the stuff that he stands on is basically the same stuff that I stand on, as far as —

AMY GOODMAN: Like?

CHAD ANDRE REED: Welfare. You know, he really advocates, and he just is there for welfare, and the civil rights. I mean, he wants affirmative action still in effect, and I believe that in order for this to still be an even country, people still have to have affirmative action in their schools so there won’t be segregation, because that’s where we’re heading back if we lose affirmative action.

AMY GOODMAN: Jacinda Abcarian, we spoke a little earlier, and you said welfare is one of the reasons why you’re not voting for President Clinton.

JACINDA ABCARIAN: Right. I really saw him as pretty much bowing down to the Republican Party on the issue of welfare when he pretty much just did away with it altogether. I thought that was really a move in the wrong direction, especially because he didn’t really propose too many organizations that were going to help people out once welfare was cut.

AMY GOODMAN: So who are you voting for?

JACINDA ABCARIAN: I’m voting for Ralph Nader of the Green Party this election, because I believe that he is one of the only candidates that is not controlled by huge corporations, since he does not have any funding from huge corporations. That’s probably the reason why he’s not going to win. But I’m still going to vote for him, because I believe in supporting the Green Party in their efforts, since they are one of the only parties that is focusing a lot on environmental issues and social issues.

AMY GOODMAN: Ralph Nader has not gotten a lot of press attention. How did you even know he was running?

JACINDA ABCARIAN: Well, I do live in Berkeley. But there are a lot of Green Party supporters in Berkeley and in the Bay Area, and they are putting out a lot of pamphlets about Ralph Nader. Also, MTV, their Rock the Vote campaign has been pretty successful, and actually they put out a pamphlet that did include Ralph Nader as a third-party candidate. And also, Vibe magazine — it’s kind of like a hip-hop, R&B, pop culture magazine — put out a whole feature about it.

AMY GOODMAN: How about Lenora Reyes? Who will you be voting for as a 19-year-old? You’re at University of California, Berkeley, right now.

LENORA REYES: Well, not only will I be voting for Bob Dole this election, I will also be in support of the Republican platform, which I think stresses the encouragement of people to work for the benefits that society presents to them. And I think it emphasizes a lot that man is responsible for his place in society and that, you know, you have this opportunity. And I think this opportunity lies with the Republicans and the Republican platform.

AMY GOODMAN: Let me ask you: Are your parents voting for Bob Dole?

LENORA REYES: Yes.

AMY GOODMAN: And, Jacinda Abcarian, your parents for Ralph Nader?

JACINDA ABCARIAN: That’s right.

AMY GOODMAN: And, Chad Reed, your parents for Bill Clinton?

CHAD ANDRE REED: Mm-hmm.

AMY GOODMAN: Lenora Reyes, did your parents influence the way you’re voting?

LENORA REYES: Yes, I think not only my parents, I think friends and friends’ families also had that influence. I was always, you know, like I said, to — I was always encouraged to engage myself in public life and getting involved with what was going on around in the public and in my community and town. And I think that that sort of encouragement, to get involved and to have a voice and to speak my voice, was the encouragement that lays behind my voting and my voting thoughts and views.

AMY GOODMAN: Lenora, Bob Dole has made a major issue of Proposition 209 in California, the so-called California Civil Rights Initiative, that would end affirmative action. How do you feel about that?

LENORA REYES: I’m in full support of that. I think that, you know, affirmative action at one time did work to encourage — did help women and minorities to get their foot in the door, but I think it’s finally run its course in America, and it’s beginning to do more harm than good. I like to relate it to like a crutch, and like you have this crutch, and, you know, without it, you’re unable to go anywhere. And I think it’s kind of been built up within people that if they don’t have this crutch, they’re not going to be able to be anywhere. And it kind of gets away from the self-initiative and self-reliance. And —

AMY GOODMAN: Lenora, do you think —

LENORA REYES: — it’s the very chains holding back people, that those chains that they were set to break or to free people.

AMY GOODMAN: Do you think that there’s no more discrimination?

LENORA REYES: I believe there’s discrimination, but I think there’s means by — on which we can resolve — other ways to resolve the discrimination. I think that people should — I think Prop 209 needs to be turned into more something that’s socioeconomic rather than race-based. I don’t believe in special preferences and quotas. I think we need to end that sort of thing and look maybe towards more socioeconomics.

AMY GOODMAN: Chad Reed, you’re 18 years old. You’re African American and Jewish. And you’re right now at a community college, at Los Medanos in Pittsburg, California. How do you feel about what Lenora just said?

CHAD ANDRE REED: Well, I feel — I mean, I can understand where she’s coming from in saying that it’s a crutch. But to say it’s a crutch is kind of funny to me, because, I mean, if you look at it as far as, you know, 60 years ago, I mean, this — I mean, and today is still not an equal society. And of course people are going think, well, now that they’re seeing all these minorities getting into the world and influencing people, there’s still — I still today am still looking for, you know, somebody that best represents me in daily life or on TV, and I really don’t see it. And I don’t see it coming from out of the school systems. And every day I’m at school, I still see — I mean, even though there’s affirmative action and all these other things to help minorities get into school, it really — I still see — in everyday life, I still see people that are not — they’re not influenced by their parents and not influenced by the community to go on to a higher education. So, it’s like people that are — the people that are trying to get into school and that are trying to use affirmative action as a benefit to them, it seems like it’s still holding them back because of the other people that also do not want to go to school.

AMY GOODMAN: Jacinda Abcarian, how do you feel about affirmative action?

JACINDA ABCARIAN: Oh, I’m definitely for affirmative action. I’m voting no on 209, because just for the simple fact that affirmative action is not about quotas, and it’s not about giving preference to somebody because of their race. All it’s about is giving people a chance. It’s about qualified people competing against each other. We’re not talking about a Black person getting a white person’s job even if they’re underqualified. That’s not what the subject is. And people are really getting it mixed up, and it really bothers me, because if somebody gets into a school through affirmative action, all that means is that there were, say, a group of qualified people here and a group of qualified people there, but say the school was all white and they wanted to have a little cultural diversity, that’s just letting people of color or women have a foot in the door to be able to get into that school. It’s not about they’re underqualified.

AMY GOODMAN: Jacinda, Ralph Nader has not come out against California’s Civil Rights Initiative. I mean, he certainly hasn’t endorsed it. What do you feel about that?

JACINDA ABCARIAN: I actually support him in not even touching upon the subjects of, say, affirmative action and same-sex marriages and all of these issues, because he does feel that it’s going to take away from the bigger major problems, which are corporate control in America and that type of thing. And so, just seeing his stands on most issues, I would actually — I know it’s not good to assume, but I would assume he’s against Proposition 209. But I think it’s OK for him to skirt that issue if he’s going to get his main point out.

AMY GOODMAN: We’re talking to Lenora Reyes, Jacinda Abcarian and Chad Andre Reed, and they’re both first-time voters, at least first time voting for president. They’re also all active in Youth Radio in Berkeley, California. How does it feel today to know that you’re going to be voting for president, Lenora?

LENORA REYES: Well, I think it’s a very exciting thing. I think it’s — for me, I think it’s an opportunity to effect change and to be heard. And I think I’m beginning to be — to feel more part of the enlightened citizenry. I’ve taken it upon myself to find out about issues, inform myself on issues and get to know them and actually, possibly, influence others as to their decisions and — or help formulate — help them to formulate ideas and maybe how they will vote.

AMY GOODMAN: Are most of your friends voting?

LENORA REYES: Yes, the majority of my friends are voting.

AMY GOODMAN: Chad Andre Reed, how do you feel today?

CHAD ANDRE REED: Well, actually, I feel kind of good. I mean, it gives you this sort of confidence that being a citizen of the United States, you can effect things, and you can make change. And being that I’m probably one of the only ones voting out of my friends and my — well, my family is voting, but it’s like it makes you feel like, you know, you’re one of the top in society. You’re one of the top people in society, you know, because most people aren’t voting. So it makes you feel real responsible.

AMY GOODMAN: Why do you think most people aren’t voting?

CHAD ANDRE REED: I mean, from what I heard from my friends, it’s like, “Well, my vote ain’t gonna help.” I mean, you know, people don’t really understand the power that you have. And it’s like, the way I refer it to is like record sales, if you look at it. I mean, one, if you think one person will — one person won’t look at somebody — won’t oppose somebody from selling a million records, but if you look at it, if you’re the only — if you’re that one person, then of course you won’t help. But look at the millions of other people that aren’t buying records and who aren’t voting, and you’ll realize the change that you have and the influence that you have over your peers if you go out and vote.

AMY GOODMAN: Well, I don’t want to keep you guys from voting, so let’s just wrap up. Lenora Reyes, let me end by, though, asking — Bob Dole is not known for attracting young voters. What about him appeals to you? And how do you think he can deal with that problem, with that generation gap?

LENORA REYES: Well, I think, for me, I think Bob Dole stresses a lot of individual initiative and being self-reliant and self-sufficient. And that’s one thing that I truly believe in, that, sure, there are all those people that will be there for you and that will be there to help you, but, as for me, I don’t want to be dependent on that sort of thing. I don’t want to be dependent on certain programs or government or whatnot. And I think that Bob Dole really stresses the significance and the importance of being an individual in the American society and taking it upon yourself to inform yourself and to get involved with the system or the political process or get involved with anything, any path you choose in life.

AMY GOODMAN: Lenora Reyes, what do you plan to do when you get out of UC Berkeley?

LENORA REYES: I plan to go to law school, become a criminal attorney.

AMY GOODMAN: Jacinda Abcarian, how about you? You’re at Laney College now, a community college. What are your plans?

JACINDA ABCARIAN: I plan to transfer to a four-year university or college and eventually graduate with a degree in journalism or English, either/or. And I’d like to teach at the college level, eventually.

AMY GOODMAN: Chad, how about you?

CHAD ANDRE REED: Well, I also plan to transfer to a four-year university, and I’m pretty open on my major. I mean, I’m into a lot of different things. I’m into fashion. I’m into the music industry. And I’m into a lot of things. And also I’m into making money, so whichever way I get to make money, I’m willing to go that way.

AMY GOODMAN: Well, thank you —

CHAD ANDRE REED: I mean, I’m not going to sell out.

JACINDA ABCARIAN: Maybe he’ll be a politician.

AMY GOODMAN: Well, is that a possibility, Chad?

CHAD ANDRE REED: Yeah, maybe.

AMY GOODMAN: How about for you, Jacinda?

JACINDA ABCARIAN: Nah, they’d pull up too much dirt on my record.

AMY GOODMAN: Lenora?

LENORA REYES: It’s possible, yes. Anything is possible.

AMY GOODMAN: Well, I want to thank you all for joining us, Lenora Reyes, Jacinda Abcarian and Chad Andre Reed. Now, well, don’t let us keep you from voting. Thanks for being with us.