Opinion – By Kelly-Jean James
With elections on the horizon, one local commentator is calling out a troubling pattern among Antigua and Barbuda's younger generation — and she isn't holding back. According to Antigua News Room, contributor Kelly-Jean James argues that millennials are not merely uninformed about local politics, but are actively choosing disempowerment.
James, who returned to Antigua roughly two years ago, writes that she has observed election season here for most of her life. She recalls older generations — including her own grandmother and mother — having clear, personal reasons for their political allegiances. But she draws a firm line between their motivations and her own.
"We millennials, the 'new adults' — fine, we are no longer color blind, but I find that we are apathetic... complacent... disempowered by CHOICE," James writes.
Her frustration centers on a striking contradiction: young Antiguans who cannot name their constituency representatives or identify what legislation is passing through Parliament, yet remain thoroughly up to date on political developments in the United States.
She challenges readers directly — asking how many actually visit branch offices, attend town halls, watch local news, listen to the Prime Minister's Saturday addresses, read cabinet notes, or register to vote. The answer, she implies, is far too few.
"We have power, and we refuse to use it... but then complain when change is not happening," James writes. She goes further, questioning whether the futures of Antiguans and their children have been reduced to social media posts measuring dissatisfaction in likes and shares.
James reminds readers that Members of Parliament are elected officials — accountable to the very constituents who too often claim ignorance of their work. Self-responsibility, she argues, is not optional.
With an election window of 89 days or fewer, her message is pointed: calling it "silly season" while refusing to participate may, in fact, reflect poorly on the electorate itself. Nothing changes, she concludes, if nothing changes.
