I, as I’m sure many people are, am very pleased that young children are being encouraged to participate in the political process. For 3rd graders, extra credit is a great way to do that. But for the rest of us it is not. Engagement in the political process should not be seen as something extra, but as something obligatory. We should not be enticed to be involved or congratulated when we are. Political involvement should be seen and felt as necessary and obvious, not extraordinary and rare.