Is our generation's time coming?

Every generation has a distinct feature about them, weather it be the "gee golly!" generation of the 50's, or the psychonauts, revolutionaries, and in general love loving hippies from the 60's. The dance scene, and the dying out of hippies in the 70's. Then, in the 80's we saw something so horrid, we thought the future of America was going to die. An intense crime wave among young teens that crime experts believe would be so huge they believed by the year 2000 that America would be a grim place to grow up in. But something happened, and while there a lot of opinions (Abortion, Stricter jails, better teaching etc.) it stopped. Just like that, in the mid 90's it stopped. Schools are as safe as they were in the 60's (http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/14040257.htm)

Now it's our generation, what will we be known for? Will we revolutionize the world like our grandfathers before us? Will we seek out peace, love, and joy? What will our generation do for this country, and more importantly, what will you do for our country?

There are a lot of issues at hand, and what I'm seeing in our generation is in apathy. I haven't heard one debate amongst my friends on Net Neutrality, "Who cares, nothing we can do anyways" they say.

What about our enviroment? They drive SUV's, they drive their car down the block, and when I ask what they think about gas prices, the enviroment etc. "Who cares, nothing we can do anyways." they say

I for one want to help this country, I for one want to fight to the bitter end making it a better place for future generations to grow up in, just as the protesters and hippies of the past have done for me.

"Who cares, nothing we can do anyways..."

I care, and WE can do something about it.

Save the world, spread joy.
-Kellan

 

If you're concerned about alternative energy development, right your senators and as them to propose a prize for alternative energy research.

It's an election year, and they might be intrested to be behind that, it's certainly a more pertinent issue then flag burning.

I could care less about what our generations known for.

 

You missed the point of my post my friend, I'm not worried what we're known for, I'm saying our generation seems to care less about issues in general.

I do write my senators, I sign petitions, I start petitions, and I try and inform people my age of the problems.

The problem is none of this is working in full force. I usually get a thank you note, or a few blank stares. A few scattered voices amongst our generation will not stop wars, a few scattered voices amongst us will not change the world.

 

It's actually like that with each generation.

There's always those select few that do something.

 

I'm of the opinion that history and generations go in 40 year cycles.
The 1910's with the war, depression, struggle and being shot, new sounds and new developments but no real experimentation - the 50s depression dealing with the aftermath of WWII, and also the birth of rock'n'roll, straight with no real experimentation.
The 20's and the early party hardy crowd seemed to rule - the 60's way of life.
The 30's and depression hitting, rebellious and just to stay alive attitudes fermenting - the 70s with the punk rock and rebellion against depression and conditions
The 40's and the war with people striving to buy what they could off the black market the 80's when it was cool to buy what you could no matter what the cost.
The 50s with the straight rock n roll, - the 90s with the Gulf War Part I and a rebirth of straight britpop, just go out and bang the guitar style bands.
The 60s peace'n'love n'all that junk - the 00s with a major resurgance in mary j and the rebirth of hippie-dom.
The 60's wars and the 00's wars.

Is your generation gonna end up inheriting the 70's in 2010? Punk and puke and the closure of just about every hardworking business in the country, gas prices gonna go through the roof?

 

A select few? We had a culutrual revolution in the 60's that changed the world!

Just because our previous generations had scattered voices doesen't mean we shouldn't give up. Do you think if the protesters of the 50's and 60's followed the general example of their fathers and grandfathers they would still have changed the world?

Do you think that if the people who sat in, the people who formed human chains, would have secured the civil rights of African Americans, for women, for everyone, if they followed the previous generations example?

 

People between the ages of 18-30 are historically apathetic voters.

Theres not much you can do about that, but at least most people our age are fairly oppinionated.

I'm far far to cynical for all this pep talk. There are about 20 people here who are mildly concerned with my political issues, and much fewer politicans I've heard be vocal about them.

So I'll keep trying and do what I can, but I don't really excpect most people to stop watching american idol long enough to talk to them about foreign aid.

 

first of all, schools arent as safe as in the 60s. maybe where you are, but around me, we have kids bringing machetes(sp?) to school to kill people, bomb threats, jumpings. all couse of gangs. that wasnt around as much in the 60s.

but i agree on all the other stuff man. our generation is too uncaring, lazy, and wasteful. and as far as i see, most in our generation are too old to change. even the 20 year olds are just as apathetic as the 13 year olds. i really hate to say it, but thats wat our generation will be known for, we will be the lazy gheneration who diddnt care about people, nature, the enviornment, anything. i think, that it will be our KIDS who revolutionize things.since most of us are to old to change now, when we have kids, they might look at us and say "damn, those people are disgusting jerk offs" and be motivated to change things.

our parants fucked things up for us and are still fucking things up. we are too lazy to change it so we are gonna fuck things up even worse. our kids are gonna grow up in a disgusting, dirty, violent world and will be pissed off enough to change it.

i hope thats not how it will be and i hope our generation will WAKE UP and come to their senses and see how close they are to a cliff. and that cliff represents the end of life, and peace. we are about to fall off the cliff and into nuclear war, genocide, and hate. and if we do go too far, then even our next generation wont be able to climb back up. the future looks very grim.

but just because things arent too hopeful, doesnt mean im gonna give up. im gonna keep on trying to inform people, and if they dont listen or brush me off, ill get in their face and keep telling them and showingf htem how bad we are making the world. ill try to show them how selfish they are being, how they need to try and make he wotrld better. if they laugfh at me for being a crazy paranoid ranter who thinks everything is alot worse than it is, then ill punch them in the face and show them how bad it is. i will NOT sit back and watch americans take a shit on the rest of the world. im not gonna give up because i care too.

of course all this is based on what i see in america. i dont know what people are like in europe. but right now, america is lazy as fuck. middle east is pissed as fuck and hates america, N korea is run by an insane guy who is willing to blow up the whole war with nukes. africa is being devistated by civil war and AIDs. most of the world isnt doing to good. and all the maricans are blind to it and couldnt care less and by ignoreing it, they are signing their own death wish and digginf their own graves.

 

You can only judge a generation in hindsight.

 

Apathetic voters, and just plain apathy I'm seeing today are totally different. I'm mostly trying to stress to people what happened in the 60's, teenagers and college student's helped shape the world, and in a lot of ways for the better.

Even informing people around you goues a long way.

And this alone means your putting more effort in than most teenagers I know.

 

I think that some American civil movements had been largely modelled on other countries and other generations - America was one of the latest of the 'modernized' countries to abolish slavery, it conducted official wars through armies, forced relocations, rewriting of history on its indigineous (sp?) population long after other colonized countries had made attempts to redress the balance. Civil rights for women took a long time, and still are taking a long time to address in America as opposed to the Suffrage movement in Britain. Which, incidentally peaked around the 20's - 40 years before the 60s. Most American cities practised official apartheid long after other countries.
However that is not the point, I love America - the people, the country and the way of life have all been good to me, and every country and civilisation had, has and will have its errors or whatever.
The point I was making was that there is a subconcious wave or circle of feelings, of passions and of fashions that seems to cycle about 40 years or so.

 

You shouldn't mention cultural revolution in the 60's... it refers to something very different that happaned in the 60's.

The civil rights movment and womens rights movements were very good, but theres very little today that you can use to stir up as much emotion. There are things in both areas that can still be improved, but people have to be really pissed off for revolution to happen.

 

Perhaps not as safe as the 60's (I don't put a whole lot into statistics I read in the media)But we are seeing evidence of lower crime rates amongst teens compared to the 80s and early 90's

"The homicide arrest rate for juveniles rose sharply between 1984 and 1992. but declined by more than one-third by 1996 and, according to just-released FBI figures, dropped an additional 16 percent in 1997." -http://www.berkeley.edu/news/berkeleyan/1999/0127/crime.html

 

help me! i can feel pretentiousness oozing out of my pores.

 

A lot of people I know care, they just dont do anything. And its people of all ages. You want to make a difference, than do something instead of preaching about making a difference.

A LOT of the people from the 60s didnt do shit. And the only reason so many cared was cause they were being drafted.
And I'm sorry but schools dont feel any safer to me. School shootings became prevalent AFTER 1995, so you're facts are a little weird. I have friends that went to two different high schools that had shootings.

If you care about the environment, drive a car that doesnt have a low MPG. If you can afford it, go hybrid. Also, write congressmen (they do listen, i've done it). And even try writing American car companies (which aren't putting out as much fuel efficient cars as Japan) about your concerns, and offer ideas for them. Change your light bulbs in your house to ones that are more energy efficient. Dont waste water or electricity. And recycle as much as possible.
You can't make others do this. You can only lead by example.

And I think our generation is getting known for the Paris Hilton wannabes, sorry.

 

Use some dolphin based facial scrub.

 

No need to get hostile man, I am doing something. I'm not trying to preach at all, I'm just trying to see who were like minded, who wanted to do something.

And like I said, I sign petitons, I make petitions, I write my senators, I try and walk/bike ride as much as I can.

There's nothing wrong with sharing opinions, even that helps.

 

can you find factory-farm dolphin? actually, i'm pretty sure i want veal-style chained-up dolphin.

its the cruelty that makes it work.

 

Lodui's right. There isn't much that can be done today to stir up interest.

Except for the dolphin based soap.
I don't agree with that.




EDIT: Petitions are meaningless.

 

I'm not being hostile. You're wanting another 60s. I'm commenting that it wont happen by sitting on this website.
Its not hostile. Its opinion that happens to contradict yours.