I'm Back and Have An Opinion

I took a break following the election until a time that I wouldn't be too inclined to gloat. It appears that the time will never get here, so I'm back anyway.

No specific political issues this post, but just a general opinion.

Barack Obama has a large debt to pay to the younger voters for his election, and hopefully he will bear them in mind as he makes his decision which will affect their future just as President Bush ignored the effects his decisions would have on them.

But do they deserve any special treatment?

When I was growing up (waaaaaay back in the 1960s) there were two issues which dominated the news.

Civil Rights

and Vietnam.

Look at the numbers of University of Texas students marching to protest the U.S. involvement in the war. In the last 20 years, when have we seen the passion which gripped the 20 and youngers (other than the Obama race) when they were involved in the Civil Rights and Vietnam issues?

What caused the apathy? Is it because they are just accepting of the status quo? Neutered by political correctness into being too afraid to offend? Or is it that they just don't feel anything sufficiently to commit themselves to an issue?

One of the pictures that I have always found the most stirring is the photo of the Buddhist monk who set himself on fire to protest the war.

How passionately must you feel about a cause to make this type of sacrifice?

Maybe it's because as we grew older, we stopped setting an example. When the planes flew into the towers what sacrifices were we willing to make? We blindly accepted the government's actions because it was just too uncomfortable and burdensome to do otherwise. Maybe changing a name on a menu to Freedom Fries is all we were willing to commit.

We have another chance now. Let's set an example so that our kids will set an example.

Let's find the issues that are as important today as those issues were then.

And let's do something about them.