The current shutdown began on December 21, 2018. It became the longest shutdown in American history on January 12, 2019, when it passed 22 days. Critical government workers, like those in TSA, have been reporting to work without pay. Many employees are about to miss their second paycheck since the shutdown started. Trump refuses to allow the government to reopen unless he receives the $5.7 billion federal funds he wants to build a U.S.-Mexico wall. This shutdown is affecting not only the workers’ paychecks, but families everywhere. It could also put the American economy at risk, the nation.

I went around the school asking fellow students what they knew about the current shutdown. I was surprised at the vast knowledge some had on the shutdown. They knew exactly what started it, how long it had been going on, etc. However, some had no clue. They knew there was a “shutdown” going on, but no idea on what it was about.

My casual survey amongst fellow peers really showed that students need to become more active in their communities. They need to know what’s going in the government, in the world. When we get older, these seemingly “unimportant” events and policies will rest on our generation.

The government shutdown had been officially announced as over, minutes before I began writing this sentence. President Trump was offered to either call the shutdown off or not be allowed his State of the Union Address, which would severely hurt his image. So, I guess the shutdown is no longer a “current” issue, although it’s possible that the government be shutdown again after this 3 week re-opening. However, this was the longest government shutdown in history, and shows to the world how unstable our government really is. Although many suffered due to the shutdown, the democratic spirit of America persisted.