Indy.com
Today:
If only we could burn bras
Posted: Nov 06, 2007 in Things to do
Tags:
I think that our generation hasn't learned how to rally. When our parents and grandparents look at us, they see apathy. And I don't think that it's 20- and 30-somethings not caring, I just don't think we know how to show that support.
For all too many, showing support for a cause may be limited to email campaigns, writing our Congressmen or campaigning for a cause . . . all via computer. If we can email it or post it on our Myspace or Facebook page, we're all about it. Heck yes we care about the environment. Sure we support Obama/Clinton/Edwards/Giuliani/McCain/Romey . . . virtually. But how many of us will actually get out of our chairs and vote/attend a rally/take time out of our busy schedules to do something that we know is meaningful. Yes, we care about it, but not enough to actually DO something.
I went to the Step It Up 2007 event put on by the Indianapolis Climate Action Network on Saturday at Broad Ripple Park and was both impressed and disappointed -- impressed that about 200 people decided to take some time out of their Saturday to stop by, but disappointed that only 200 of the 1 million or so residents in our city cared enough to make the event a priority. It was more like a big meeting with some good speakers than a rally.
Which brings me back to my point. Do we even KNOW how to rally? Foreigners know how to rally. You see masses of people holding signs and flooding the streets for a cause or demanding social change. But in my own lifetime, the only people that I've ever seen "rally" are immigrants and union strikers. Which makes me wonder if we think we're too good to rally, too good to stand on a street and chant and cheer; if rallying is a lower class modality that we, as a society, have largely outgrown.
Just some thoughts.
Guess I could burn my boxers. Would that help any?
I believe the low number of attendees at said rallies indicates that the people are not that worried. The climate change/global warming issue is divided. Some people think it's man made and others believe that the Earth is doing what it does in cycles. I tend to believe the latter. The Earth is all powerful and humans and our industrial complex is just a minor detail in the big scheme of things. It wasn't that long ago, in the 70s, that the concensus of scientists believed we were heading into an ice age, or global cooling. So, what are we to believe?
But what do we believe in general? And regardless of what we believe, are we a generation of
action? I'm beginning to think not. Climate change, living more green, presidential candidates, the
"War on Terror" . . . hell, anything. Do we actually believe in anything enough to want to change
it?
I feel like the Earth does what it does too, but that humans make it worse. The Earth is not in
danger, humans are. Of course, none of us will live long enough to see extinction, but that's not
the point. I just wonder if anyone has any passion left for any sort of social change at all. Or
did we burn all the bras, burn all the fires, burn all the passion out in the 60s and 70s?
Circumstances have changed since the 60s/70s. People were anti-war in the 60s because there was a draft. These days, we have people volunteering and joining the military willingly, whether the Iraq War was premature, wrong, or unpopular. I'm meeting more people these days that are more worried about the government taxing them out of their homes and lifestyles. The most current protest I see in our city is against the property tax hike. It's a noble protest and more attainable to win influence than fighting global warming or any war. Some issues are beyond our influence, but when the government is gouging people's wallets, then there will be hell to pay.
Plus look at the people who warn us about issues like "Global Warming", Al Gore wins an Oscar, yet takes a private jet everywhere and lives in a 5000 sq ft house! The Earth Live or whatever rock show they had over the summer. Wanna know why nobody watched it? Cause nobody cares! How much electricity did it cost to put on that show? Hypocrites all of them! The 60's/70's were over-rated anyway. Im so tired of baby boomer sh*t, look guys you had your turn, it's over retire and collect social security (if there is any) in peace. From movies like Across the Universe (saw it, hated it) to Berkely, nobody cares about that era anymore. Boomers get out of your self absorbed righteousness! Look at all the crap that's come from that era anyway, rampant drug addiction (and the ever costly so called war on drugs), AIDS, breakdown of family and morals (while not a very moral person I believe we all should have some), political correctness. Pluss all the people who were involed in all the "protests" are the people in power now. The CEO's, politicians. They all sold out their ideals. There's one cause and one cause only in this world: Money, and I'm gonna spend all mine on booze, video games, and barely legal asian hookers!