Tuesday November 8th 2016 is a day that will be forever remembered in the history of the United States as it brings the most controversial election yet to an end. Throughout this election I've closely analyzed the ideas and beliefs of the people that I have had the pleasure of talking to and I came to a conclusion. To me, the most interesting people in this election haven't been the educated adults that I've surrounded myself with or the professional experts that I've watched on my TV, it has been us young adults. From the girls in my sorority, the guys I meet at fraternity parties to the peers I see in my classes and the kids I see at Starbucks with so much to say as to why their candidate is the best choice. It's like I was so blind yet now I have a clear vision of the main problem facing our youth.
Here's the thing, I found that our generation has become complacent with the idea that the world goes on despite our lack of involvement or quality interest in public issues. People argue regarding their beliefs but in-reality I rarely see any of us acting upon our ideas to try and change something in the world. In my opinion, there are two kinds of people who are responsible for this mess that our generation is stuck in:
1. For some reason as time has passed there's this idea that not being involved is cool. I constantly meet people who are either so oblivious to the world around them that they have no opinion, or the ones who are simply unaffected by a spark of interest in problems facing society.
2. Then there are the worse of the two in my eyes: those who do have an opinion, however their beliefs have no solid foundation and the only thing that bases their ideas is ignorance. Those who will fight endlessly with you about why you're wrong, but their argument is simply filled with perception and no reliable facts.
Ignorance is not bliss, ignorance is knowing that you can be aware however you choose to be too lazy to act upon something that is bigger than yourself, ignorance is letting the fear of failure or of not being accepted exceed your hunger to spread some good in the world.
This article isn't necessarily about the election, because this election simply serves as an example of the decline of our generation. A generation that was expected and meant to be great. People's lack of interest and lack of drive to look further into who will be our future president is astounding. Because this isn't a matter to be taken lightly or pushed aside, this affects us greatly. And after the fact there is nothing that anyone can say that will change the results, because we had a say. We have the privilege of living in a democracy where our voice matters and where our voice makes a difference. And it is our jobs as members of the free world to take advantage of the privilege that so many other nations long for.
Looking back on our previous fathers of history, it honestly embarrasses me to say that we have done nothing but take the advancements made with our success in mind and turn them into cushions of comfort. We take things for granted and despite the fact that we know we are doing this, it has become such a recurring thing in our lives that we have quit on trying to right our wrongs.
Yes we should live in the present however always with the future in mind, because whether we want it or not time goes by and we can choose to sit here and watch as it does or we can become active. Active in changing history one small act at a time.
