Carl Bernstein, one of the men who helped discover President Nixon’s involvement in the Watergate scandal was a speaker for the main graduation ceremonies at the May 2008 Commencement for University of Maryland College Park. As I sat in my cap and gown, bedazzled and looking fabulous; clutching my cell phone texting in one hand, my flask full of tequila in the other, I had a bit of a revelation. I watched somewhat buzzed, as some of my fellow graduates dozed off, and I was just about to follow suit until I heard Mr. Bernstein say “I don’t understand why your generation does not question its leadership.”
I listened half drunkenly (5-7 shots prior to the graduation ceremonies has that effect on most people) but his point was blindingly clear. Our generation is brilliant, but for some reason we have allowed the last 8 years to go on with no one accepting responsibility for getting us into this position in which we now stand. An article on the Huffington Post today ( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/will-the-madoff-debacle-f_b_151219.html ) created a resurgence in the emotions I felt on that May afternoon. The atrocities of the Bush Administration, the financial industry, & Wall Street are to say the least, DISGUSTING. Not only with the current economic recession, but in regards to the Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General, Fish and Wildlife Services, Iraq, Afghanistan, tax laws, the record breaking budget deficit….the list goes on and on of areas in which the government and our leaders have either deceived or failed us completely.
Millenials/ EchoBoomers/Generation Y, we have come of age in the Information Era. It seems like more investigative journalism is devoted to the latest scandals and clubbing activities of celebrities and pseudo-celebrities even (yes you, LC, Heidi, Spencer, Real Housewives, and the rest of you talentless pieces of flotsam on cable networks) than to issues that affect our daily lives and ultimately, our futures. We have endless resources at our fingertips, yet I feel for so long we have let those in power commit injustices to us and the world, with ZERO accountability for their actions. Many of us may ask “what CAN we do?” well, there are things like blogs, to educate people and share opinions, possibly even come up with plans of action. There are also groups in different areas and college campuses, for example Community Roots (http://croots.org/) headquartered at NYU and my alma mater, the University of Maryland, College Park. Should we overthrow the government?…No, of course not. But we should make educated choices in picking our leadership at a federal, state, and local level. And when those leaders fail us, we most of the time, have the authority to rally and impeach them, get them out of office, or at the very least, shame them through some means of public humiliation.
Here’s one thing I don’t understand and which perfectly explains the country’s attitude of relative ambivalence to our governments’ failures. An MSNBC poll ( http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10562904 ) cites 89% of those polled feel that Bush’s actions as President justify impeachment. In June of this year Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D), introduced 35 articles of impeachment against Dubya. The Judiciary Committee heard the resolution yet; it was not pursued any further. Also hearings at the Congressional and State party level have been raised supporting the impeachment of Bush. Democrats in Congress did not pursue it any further in order not to cause a stir of disunity before the Presidential election, and of course now they have much bigger items on their plate than impeaching Bush. Its crazy to me that we impeached a President over 10 years ago for getting his dick sucked and not telling the whole truth about it, yet let a guy go SCOT FREE when he is responsible for the deaths of over 4000 troops and billions of dollars wasted in a horribly managed war, along with about a dozen blatant violations of the US Constitution. I guess the millions of sperm that met their end on Monica Lewinskys infamous blue dress mean more to America than the billions of taxpayers dollars (including a budget surplus) squandered over the past 8 years.
I listened half drunkenly (5-7 shots prior to the graduation ceremonies has that effect on most people) but his point was blindingly clear. Our generation is brilliant, but for some reason we have allowed the last 8 years to go on with no one accepting responsibility for getting us into this position in which we now stand. An article on the Huffington Post today ( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/will-the-madoff-debacle-f_b_151219.html ) created a resurgence in the emotions I felt on that May afternoon. The atrocities of the Bush Administration, the financial industry, & Wall Street are to say the least, DISGUSTING. Not only with the current economic recession, but in regards to the Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General, Fish and Wildlife Services, Iraq, Afghanistan, tax laws, the record breaking budget deficit….the list goes on and on of areas in which the government and our leaders have either deceived or failed us completely.
Millenials/ EchoBoomers/Generation Y, we have come of age in the Information Era. It seems like more investigative journalism is devoted to the latest scandals and clubbing activities of celebrities and pseudo-celebrities even (yes you, LC, Heidi, Spencer, Real Housewives, and the rest of you talentless pieces of flotsam on cable networks) than to issues that affect our daily lives and ultimately, our futures. We have endless resources at our fingertips, yet I feel for so long we have let those in power commit injustices to us and the world, with ZERO accountability for their actions. Many of us may ask “what CAN we do?” well, there are things like blogs, to educate people and share opinions, possibly even come up with plans of action. There are also groups in different areas and college campuses, for example Community Roots (http://croots.org/) headquartered at NYU and my alma mater, the University of Maryland, College Park. Should we overthrow the government?…No, of course not. But we should make educated choices in picking our leadership at a federal, state, and local level. And when those leaders fail us, we most of the time, have the authority to rally and impeach them, get them out of office, or at the very least, shame them through some means of public humiliation.
Here’s one thing I don’t understand and which perfectly explains the country’s attitude of relative ambivalence to our governments’ failures. An MSNBC poll ( http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10562904 ) cites 89% of those polled feel that Bush’s actions as President justify impeachment. In June of this year Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D), introduced 35 articles of impeachment against Dubya. The Judiciary Committee heard the resolution yet; it was not pursued any further. Also hearings at the Congressional and State party level have been raised supporting the impeachment of Bush. Democrats in Congress did not pursue it any further in order not to cause a stir of disunity before the Presidential election, and of course now they have much bigger items on their plate than impeaching Bush. Its crazy to me that we impeached a President over 10 years ago for getting his dick sucked and not telling the whole truth about it, yet let a guy go SCOT FREE when he is responsible for the deaths of over 4000 troops and billions of dollars wasted in a horribly managed war, along with about a dozen blatant violations of the US Constitution. I guess the millions of sperm that met their end on Monica Lewinskys infamous blue dress mean more to America than the billions of taxpayers dollars (including a budget surplus) squandered over the past 8 years.
It seems like so many people feel that Bush should pay for his wrongdoings, yet no one wants to stand up and enforce any type of punishment. Not to Bush, nor to any of the executives who still collect their million dollar bonuses while their workers get laid off and their company accepts bailout money from taxpayers because they essentially FAILED at being profitable. No one seems to want to make these people pay; or at the VERY least, admit that they failed, and APOLOGIZE for the results of their ineptitude.
My sentiments toward this country and my generation in particular can be summed up in two quotes from once of my favorite movies and tv show:
“WAKE UP, PEOPLE”
~Do the Right Thing, Spike Lee
“ASK QUESTIONS, TAKE CHANCES, MAKE MISTAKES”
~The Magic School Bus, Ms. Frizzle
My sentiments toward this country and my generation in particular can be summed up in two quotes from once of my favorite movies and tv show:
“WAKE UP, PEOPLE”
~Do the Right Thing, Spike Lee
“ASK QUESTIONS, TAKE CHANCES, MAKE MISTAKES”
~The Magic School Bus, Ms. Frizzle
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