By Jordana Lewis
BEVERLY HILLS — Only 25 of the 200-odd original “Dunlap Broadside” copies of the Declaration of Independence have survived. That 25th reproduction, however, discovered in 1989 inside a $4 flea market frame, inspired the creation of Declare Yourself, the organization created by writer and producer Norman Lear to get young Americans to register and vote. Last night, Declare Yourself celebrated democracy, the 2008 presidential election and 18th birthdays at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts here.
Although Mr. Lear’s politics are no secret, Declare Yourself is strictly non-partisan. “It goes with the theme of the Declaration of Independence, that ‘all men are created equal,’ ” Mr. Lear said. “What we’re doing is much more American than it is political. It’s about empowerment.” The organization said it registered 1.2 million voters in the 2004 and 2006 elections. Four million more Americans will be eligible to vote by Election Day 2008, and Mr. Lear hopes to capture as many of them as possible.
To that end, Heroes’ Hayden Panettiere (age 18 and a month) and Ugly Betty’s America Fererra (age 23) have joined the cause, using their celebrity to raise awareness and interest among their peers. “Our focus is on the 18-year-old. Now, this is not failing to notice that if we put the spotlight on the 18-year-olds, which has that sexy feeling, our efforts won’t escape the 32-year-olds,” Mr. Lear explained.
She doesn’t know who she’s voting for and the debates remain archived on her TiVo, but Ms. Panettiere knows which issues will dictate how she casts her ballot: the war and the planet. “I think that’s what most people my age are interested in because it’s so in our faces at the moment,” she said.
Saskina Delp, an 18-year-old who recently registered to vote outside a grocery store near Sonoma State University, where she attends college, confirms Ms. Panettiere’s hunch. Her Election Day deal breakers are global warming (“we’re paying attention to it but we need more productivity”) and a solution to the war in Iraq (“I know that will be impossible, but it’s what I hope for”).
Though Generation Y’s political demands may be daunting, spirits at the bash ran high. Camp Freddy, comprised of musicians from Linkin Park, The Cult and the defunct Jane’s Addiction, performed a live set under the stars and guests viewed that precious 25th copy of the Declaration of Independence under a sturdy-looking glass frame. Justin Timberlake attended, but the crooner opted to stay off the stage — leaving the spotlight to the accomplished writer, the blonde cheerleader, and the effort to register voters, one 18-year-old at a time.
Eligible Americans—of any age—can register to vote at www.DeclareYourself.com.
