Deborah Pardes
@DBPardes · 2:58
Hello Shan Gupta! HS political activist! We met at the Culture of Democracy Summit
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And I felt that when I was talking with your parents, and then I got to meet you, and I just think it's what I want to talk talk about. When did you start realizing that civic participation was something that you understood to be not only a priority, but a priority for you?
Shan Gupta
@srgupta · 2:14
And that was shocking to me, because young people have really strong opinions, but those opinions aren't being heard, aren't being heard at the ballot box where a change can actually be made. So that's really where my passion for voting rights began in 2020. It was really fun for me to talk with voters, to help them use their voices to see how to get involved. And I really enjoyed that experience
Deborah Pardes
@DBPardes · 0:58
I know it's a loaded question, but since you're in the finance space and elections and supporting the Senator, I just would love to hear your thoughts on that. Thank you so much
Shan Gupta
@srgupta · 1:32
Yeah, that's a great question. In terms of positives, I would first, I would say that there there are positives to having money in politics. And the greatest one is just allowing people to get involved and participate in the democratic, democratic process. If someone, for example, is passionate about a certain candidate, they can get involved, they can contribute, they can put some stake in the game
Mtwadamela Ijogo
@Mtwadamela · 1:18
It's not just the money. The money is used as a tool for people to get what they want, but it's the mindset behind why they're using that money or for what purpose or what intent they're using that money. So until we change that, and really we need to change our whole system. I mean, it's not even a direct democracy we're in. It's a representative democracy. We go with an electoral college, so we have a lot of work
Deborah Pardes
@DBPardes · 1:36
We elect representatives because of who they are and what they represent and what they promise for us, and then they're inside a system where they can't do the good work we want them to do because the system is rigged. From that perspective, there's a lot of disillusionment and a lot of people don't trust the system. But, Shan, you are full steam ahead
And also, that's not to really discredit any other position, but I do feel like in certain political races I don't have to tell you this, you're knowledgeable, but some races mean a little bit more than others. But yeah, just making sure that you're involved, you're voting if you're really passionate about it in your free time, there are plenty of volunteer opportunities, especially around the campaigning season, believe it or not
Shan Gupta
@srgupta · 0:44
Thanks, Deborah. I think it's important to remember as we approach these conversations, that, yes, our democratic system is imperfect, but it's still the best democratic system it in the world. And, yes, our economic system is not perfect, but it's still the best economic system in the world. And so by approaching these conversations as trying to improve a system rather than trying to dismantle it, allows for more constructive conversation and more feasible solutions. So I thank you for having me
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