(no subject)
An Open Letter
By Nunzio DiBenedetto
My own generation terrifies me. We turn to Television for our views. Barely anyone is concerned with politics anymore. The art of debate is almost dead in our schools, with the exception of the teachers who are still trying. The kids that can be considered “successes”, that is, the ones who are going to graduate high school and move on to college like we’ve been taught to, barely offer any hope. Many of them only put forth enough of an effort to get a grade. They don’t enjoy learning, and most people just want to go to college just to escape their town. Its not our towns that are the problem however, something has been lost that should be intrinsic to us. We have lost the joy of living and are replacing it, slowly, with an apathy that is dangerous. Only a few care anymore about the state of the very world that they live in, more often these kids turn to substances to numb themselves to whatever the most recent pain is. If our youth is being lost than what will this country become? The very group that is supposed to care the most about the fate of the world is slowly deteriorating into what could accurately be called zombies who follow popular culture without criticism.
Can you really blame us however? We look to our role models and what do we see? On CNN we hear of the atrocities of Iraq, the scandals of the Bush administration, and in Clinton we saw a man who couldn’t even control his basest animal urges. On MTV we see rappers preaching violence and women selling themselves as sexual objects for lavish profit. Is anyone concerned with respect anymore? It seems that Americans have stopped respecting themselves, and we’ve stopped respecting each other. We “dumb down” nearly everything now; just to make sure that the joke isn’t lost on anyone, however, the joke has already been lost through the censor. Everyone is so concerned with political correctness, what you can and cannot say, but there is little outrage towards what essentially amounts to prostitution on national television. We are fat, we are lazy, and we are slowly losing the fundamental beliefs of our country.
America was founded on the ideal of freedom. We should be free to try, we are free to make our own ways, we are free to do what we please, and yet, what is it we wind up doing? We expect others to take care of us; we blame others for our problems. Everyone wants something for nothing. I say, no! Take hold of your future. Our youth, and indeed our society must be inspired. Take responsibility for what you do, no more of these frivolous lawsuits, no more blaming the president for mistakes made. Who elected him? There is such a large anti-Bush sentiment within the teenage culture (that of which is still active, at least) that no one stops to think; how did he get there? Our society elected this man, should we have taken his politics into account or do we just listen to how charismatic he is? Unfortunately, for the most part, people choose the latter.
It is not too late to change though. It is the youth that the future rests upon. We have to become inspired. Something has to change! It is in college we will find direction, and hopefully we will find purpose. We need to reinstate self-criticism; we need to bring to the surface new ideas, new beliefs, and new ways of thinking. Re-examine our lives! We are becoming stagnant, and once that happens, we will fail as a society. It is the youth, my peers, who have to restart the heart of this culture. I pray that in college we will find our direction, and in my heart of hearts, I believe; we will.
By Nunzio DiBenedetto
My own generation terrifies me. We turn to Television for our views. Barely anyone is concerned with politics anymore. The art of debate is almost dead in our schools, with the exception of the teachers who are still trying. The kids that can be considered “successes”, that is, the ones who are going to graduate high school and move on to college like we’ve been taught to, barely offer any hope. Many of them only put forth enough of an effort to get a grade. They don’t enjoy learning, and most people just want to go to college just to escape their town. Its not our towns that are the problem however, something has been lost that should be intrinsic to us. We have lost the joy of living and are replacing it, slowly, with an apathy that is dangerous. Only a few care anymore about the state of the very world that they live in, more often these kids turn to substances to numb themselves to whatever the most recent pain is. If our youth is being lost than what will this country become? The very group that is supposed to care the most about the fate of the world is slowly deteriorating into what could accurately be called zombies who follow popular culture without criticism.
Can you really blame us however? We look to our role models and what do we see? On CNN we hear of the atrocities of Iraq, the scandals of the Bush administration, and in Clinton we saw a man who couldn’t even control his basest animal urges. On MTV we see rappers preaching violence and women selling themselves as sexual objects for lavish profit. Is anyone concerned with respect anymore? It seems that Americans have stopped respecting themselves, and we’ve stopped respecting each other. We “dumb down” nearly everything now; just to make sure that the joke isn’t lost on anyone, however, the joke has already been lost through the censor. Everyone is so concerned with political correctness, what you can and cannot say, but there is little outrage towards what essentially amounts to prostitution on national television. We are fat, we are lazy, and we are slowly losing the fundamental beliefs of our country.
America was founded on the ideal of freedom. We should be free to try, we are free to make our own ways, we are free to do what we please, and yet, what is it we wind up doing? We expect others to take care of us; we blame others for our problems. Everyone wants something for nothing. I say, no! Take hold of your future. Our youth, and indeed our society must be inspired. Take responsibility for what you do, no more of these frivolous lawsuits, no more blaming the president for mistakes made. Who elected him? There is such a large anti-Bush sentiment within the teenage culture (that of which is still active, at least) that no one stops to think; how did he get there? Our society elected this man, should we have taken his politics into account or do we just listen to how charismatic he is? Unfortunately, for the most part, people choose the latter.
It is not too late to change though. It is the youth that the future rests upon. We have to become inspired. Something has to change! It is in college we will find direction, and hopefully we will find purpose. We need to reinstate self-criticism; we need to bring to the surface new ideas, new beliefs, and new ways of thinking. Re-examine our lives! We are becoming stagnant, and once that happens, we will fail as a society. It is the youth, my peers, who have to restart the heart of this culture. I pray that in college we will find our direction, and in my heart of hearts, I believe; we will.