We are Materialistic. We are shallow. We take sacred symbols and co-opt them as ironic icons, indicating a kind of pride in our apathy, and materialism and lack of basic forethought.
Hipster has become a dirty word.
Art is no longer screaming effort and formal training, but lazy-ironic-propaganda, psuedo-intellectual "statements" on the pointlessness of caring.
We all die in the end.
Our liberal elders bemoan our lack of involvement in progressive issues, that only conservative youth seem to care about the political process. There are more up-and-coming political leaders in young adults of those values than those of the left.
We just don't care.
As a young adult who does care, I often struggle with this perception. Why do my peers who appear to share my values don't care about the possibility that what is important to us - freedom of speech, freedom of expression, sexual freedom and the ability to be separate from the gender binary and be whatever a man/woman/both/neither means to you - could eventually be taken away from us. They think these things are impossible. Why?
Is it history? Does the fact female suffrage has never been repealed make them think racially equal civil rights won't go away? And by that logic, do they think Roe v Wade won't be repealed, the only thing keeping state-level laws against abortion and contraception from being enforced? And because racial civil rights isn't in danger, gay civil rights isn't something we have to fight for, because it's only a matter of time? Maybe because as a generation, marriage is viewed as unimportant, because we've been raised by more divorcee households? That because mom and dad are too lazy to be remarried from their current partners, we've come to realize that a state-issued peice of paper doesn't define a family?
Do we take it for granted that our differences are accepted? Do we not care if there are people who can't accept The Gay, The Ethnic, The Atheist, since anyone who doesn't is Old and Don't Matter?
Why do we not recognize that these Old People that Don't Matter as only a facet of the Conservative Right that wants to dismantle and delay the development of a permissive society? Why don't we see that Slippery Slopes actually do exist?
And more importantly, why do our elders put the blame solely on our young shoulders? Our opinions did not form in a vacuum, and our lack of passion isn't an active decision. We are shaped by these people. After all, they are our parents, and grandparents. Aunts, Uncles and relations of varying levels of Greatness.
Maybe because they came of age, either socially or politically, during the Cold War Era, when the world seemed to be inches away from a radioactive end, that while raising us, these problems were dealt with a sense of irreverancy. My generation became socially aware during the Clinton Administration, a peace time administration, where our parents and grandparents spent more time talking about his scandals and less about social issues and fiscal problems because, well, who Bill was fucking was more interesting than our balanced budget and the blossoming gay and 3rd wave feminist movement.
Maybe after Nixon, our older relatives became disenchanted with the political process. They felt powerless. And our young, impressionable and very perceptive minds soaked that up.
So we care about scandal, and think voting is cool, but pointless. We think that everything will be okay, whether or not we pay any attention to it. Combined with our parent's careening into debt รก la 1920's for the whole point of unrealistic status symbols, we are materialistic, apathetic, and lazy.
Why work hard when we can use credit cards? Why care about these issues when it'll happen anyway? Why care about our politicians when they're all corrupt and when our vote means nothing?
I don't think like this obviously, but I know people who do. My parents never spoke good or ill of politics, but they encouraged my sense of righteousness. They valued hard work. They pushed the importance of forethought, planning ahead and making contingency plans.
I care deeply about who is in office. I desire intensely to leave my mark on the political process. I want freedom for ALL the people, in all things.
Yet the most active things I do is write this blog and soapbox to anyone who'll listen. I don't march on Washington, or organize and attend rallies. I am a member of exactly zero political campus groups.
Why?
I have no idea. For some reason, those of us youngin's don't feel the need to be out there and active in the political community, even if we care about what's going on.
I have no point or argument for this post. But these observations are disheartening.
- Posted from my iPhone when I really shouldn't be blogging, with Blogpress App
Location:Towson University
No comments:
Post a Comment