Instead of focusing on specific institutions or topics in American politics, this year's Milton S. Eisenhower Symposium centers on us, the college students. "Finding Our Voice: The Role of America's Youth," is the theme, and it has allowed the symposium to attract a diverse group to discuss our generation's impact on American Society.
Unfortunately, instead of examining the potential of Generation Y, several of MSE's speakers have chosen to blame us unfairly for the world's problems.
Ralph Nader talked about how our generation is wasting our time with Facebook and Myspace, and "growing up corporate" instead of "growing up civic." We have been unwilling to use our voices and actions to promote positive change in the world. Instead, we have been duped by a system that perpetuates greed.
Harry Belafonte was even more critical than Nader. He called today's youth hedonistic and lethargic, and argued that we are "indifferent to the world." According to Belafonte, our generation has "dropped the baton" during the handoff in the metaphorical relay to advance civil rights.
I ran track for six years, and I can tell Belafonte from experience that it takes two to mess up a handoff. Before pointing their fingers at today's youth, perhaps he and Nader should take an introspective look. The world does not look as it does because of our generation, but rather because of generations past.
Newt Gingrich understood this when he described the baby boomers as a `taking' generation. "When they were young, they demanded the best schools ... and as they age, they will demand the best retirement," he said.
The baby boomer generation, and to a lesser extent the so-called silent generation preceding the baby boomers, dominate the political, cultural, academic and business leadership in the U.S. It is the baby boomers who have real decision-making power. It is they who should be held responsible for the results of their actions.
Iraq, of course, was a major concern for both Nader and Belafonte. The war is our fault, apparently, because we don't participate in weekly protests and sit-ins. It is important to remember, however, that it was the baby boom presidents, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, who made "Regime Change" the United States' official policy and ordered and executing the invasion of Iraq, respectively.
The environment is another area of concern on which our generation has supposedly been complacent. Yet while we might over-consume, we can hardly be blamed for the pillaging of our natural resources or the creation of a petroleum-based economy. At worst, we are continuing the practices of our parents. And unlike past generations, we understand the implications of our actions, and heavily utilize recycling programs. According to a poll from the Council for Excellence in Government, adults ages 18-34 are the most concerned with cleaning the environment.
Belafonte believes that today's youths should be ashamed of themselves for not continuing the fight for civil rights in America. But, our generation is the most tolerant in U.S. history. According to a Gallup poll, 95 percent of Americans ages 18-29 approve of interracial dating. Among the silent generation, approval is around 45 percent. Younger people also tend to be the strongest supporters of expanding gay rights, according to Gallup.
And finally, despite Ralph Nader's assertion that youth are not civically involved, those aged 18-25 are just as likely as other age cohorts to volunteer "for a local charity, community group, local school or hospital," according to an ICM Research poll.
Of course, we must be wary of praise as well. At times, we do appear overly apathetic and complacent in the face of injustice. It is also impossible to predict what the future will bring, and how today's youth will act when they become as powerful as the baby boomers.
But given this uncertainty, those speaking about "The Role of America's Youth" should be encouraging us to foster positive leadership, not reprimanding us for their own mistakes.
In truth all generations share the blame for current difficulties in foreign policy, environmental degradation, continued prejudice, civic disassociation and a host of other problems. However, it is we who will be charged with facing and fixing these growing concerns. Perhaps we should start now.
--Marc Goldwein is a senior political science and economics major from Merion, Pa.
