As a 20 year old college student with an intense romantic relationship with idea that I may one day change this world, I am worried about the dedication and passion my generation has regarding political change. After reading the recent Op-Ed Column by Bob Herbert entitled "Changing the World" a steady stream of emotion ran over me. I was deeply moved by the hope in Andrew Goodman words and his sense of conviction and his confidence in helping change the world. But I was also insanely envious of the political climate that he grew up in. Andrew Goodman was a 20-year-old man making is mark in the world during the age of the peoples voice. The mid-60's and 70's were a time unlike any other for this country. Protests were a valued tool of democracy and it seems like everyone who was awake cared enough to speak out. It was such an influential time in the world that some of the greatest artist of all time like Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Kurt Vonnegut, and Arthur Miller created the greatest masterpieces of the 20th century in the name of political protest.
Bob Dylan was right. The times were changing. It's 40 years later and the brave soldiers of change have long put away there banners and signs. The songs that used to run the radio stations that screamed with the anger of a generation who was fed up, have retired to music history only to be played by the few who remember and the few who care. Vonnegut has passed on and his words struggle to keep there meaning among the trash that fills the bookshelves. And here I am, a young college student ignited by my mothers generation and disgusted with my own.
Recently I organized a protest against FOX News' "Tea Party Express". I posted it on Facebook to try and get the support of my peers, thinking that there must be at least one other person out there that felt the same way I did. Or at the very least disagreed and would challenge my efforts. I got two comments on the event posting: "i say just dont watch it. the end." and "Get a fucking life Grayson". To be fair, the second one was my rambunctious friend attempting humor.. but you get the point. Needless to say, no one showed up for the protest.
In April of this year I posted a Facebook note entitled "Who's really to blame for Somali Pirates" which was a comprehensive look into current events in Somalia that blamed the USA instead of the Somalian. I had expected a huge response since my stance was very controversial... at least I thought it would be. That post received four comments. One which pointed out that I had said "marines" instead of "navy seals" and then two that attempted humor.
I have lived on this Earth for 20 years and have only met three people in my age group who cared about the world and the current status of our country in even the slightest sense. Two of these people I literally met only a month ago. Why?!! WHAT THE FUCK!?! What was in the tap water back then that has apparently been filtered out? Why does no one care?! Is it because life has become to easy? Is it because we have Facebook, iPods, and Gossip Girl? I know its not because we have nothing to stand for because I have been standing so fucking long my feet are bleeding. I don't want to but I can't help having almost no hope for the future of our country because no one gives a damn.
If you agree, good, thank you. But more importantly, if you disagree, please say something. Please prove me wrong. PLEASE convince me that my self centered and self interested generation will ever have anything more to say then "O-M-G, Brittany Spears is preggers again!".
[Not edited or proof read. Don't reply with typographical corrections. I will delete them]
I, quite sadly, have to fully agree with you. It's the most distressful when you're literally in a political science class with people who claim they want to go INTO politics, and they it still doesn't interest them enough to stay current with issues, or have any passion in the subject whatsoever.
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