NORTH
C O A S T T IM E S
P A G E 16
E A G L E , DECEMBER 2003
THE YOUNG ARE THE FUTURE
BY MICHAEL PAUL McCUSKER
“Z d on’t know what I am, Dad, and I don't
particularly care "
-BENJAMIN BRADDOCK
‘ THE GRADUATE“
BY CHARLES WEBB (1963)
Young Ben Braddock, as portrayed by Dustin Hoffman
in the film version of The Graduate, spoke for a disillusioned
generation of Baby Boomers in early maturity. Later that spirit
ual emptiness would gorge on frenzied materialism, but for a
short period a large number of primarily affluent young Ameri
cans attempted to combat cultural nihilism with experiments
toward a moral republic which was to be lightly governed for
the benefit of all by persons of intelligent goodwill.
These masses of young people were drawn together in
the 1960s by their antipathy for the Vietnam War (and a few by
the earlier Civil Rights movement) and attempted to restructure
their society, which was interminably involved in a psychopathic
war of nerves with the now defunct Soviet Union of Russia
The young Americans turned to animistic socialism and
developed a political philosophy that loosely resembled gypsy
law They thought they could bind state socialism and social
control with a tribal sense of freewheeling individual freedom.
Reality, which in some respects means that all dreams
take time for fruition and are modified by circumstances,
disillusioned the young once more. Most of them softened their
resistance to the 7/11 values of their civilization as they grew
older. Communal patterns and politics were abandoned; busi
ness networking among the former rebels replaced communal-
ism. The acquisitive, workaholic, well-dined yuppie metamorph
osed from the young angst-riven hippie who though universal
love and open sex would make the world a better place.
The colleges and universities the rebellious youth tore
apart or opened up (both views are prevalent) with wild curricu
lar insurrection nearly four decades ago arequietly occupied
by their children and/or grandchildren, who seem to share no
less disillusion than they had. The difference is that today's
disaffected young souls lack hope, which puts a hard edge to
their tense bleakness. They defend their sense of futility by
pointing to the failure of the youth of the infamous 1960s to
change society. If those hundreds of thousands who held mass
demonstrations and disrupted the nation’s universities failed,
what chance has this smaller, less-noticed generation to be
successful.?
Perhaps that might be why the young today seem so
keen on taking for themselves what wealth and pleasure they
can out of a culture that appears to be spoiling like an overripe
fruit.
“Kids today live with awful nightmares," Abbie Hoffman,
“Clown Prince" of the youth rebellion that now seems ancient,
irrelevant history told a jury in 1987 (He had been arrested for
“trespassing" at the University of Massachusetts while demon
strating against CIA campus recruiting. The jury acquitted him.)
“AIDS will wipe us out; the polar ice cap will melt (it is!); the
nuclear bomb will go off any minute. Even the best tend to
believe we are helpless to affect matters. It's no wonder teenage
suicide is at a record level. Young people are detached from
history, the planet, and most important, the future. I maintain to
you that this detachment from the future, the lack of hope, and
the high suicide rate among youth are connected."
A few years later, speaking for still a later group of
American youth, Kelly Hoffman (no relation to Abbie) wrote for
the Times Eagle when she was 16 in 1995:
“We are told our generation will be the first generation
of Americans to be worse off than their parents. Every year jobs
are harder to find. The economy is weak and will probably
collapse right when our generation comes to power. What do
we have to look forward to?"
She accused the people in power for having forgotten
the responsibilities of leadership.
“My generation is the future but we do not control the
future. Those in power today need to realize that their children
and grandchildren will be the ones to suffer if they do not start
working on the problems now but it seems that the politicians
of today have forgotten there is a future."
Aside from the usual breathless despair of youth, a
reason for the disaffection felt by generations of young Ameri
cans might be society's inability to present a sustainable vision
for the young to grasp Such a vision should transcend propa
ganda and the banalities of popular culture. Real values of life
and purpose should be nurtured through the ancient process of
schooling
This is not happening in the United States. Youth are
leaving school inadequately prepared, not simply economically
but with little awareness of the underlying foundations of their
society Children are not learning although they are passed up
through the system Their parents (or grandparents), an earlier
generation of disaffected youth, are dissatisfied with public
education and hold it responsible for their children's alienation.
Yet there are some who believe that American educa
tion satisfies its intent by producing generations of credit card
carrying shoppers And schools are in flux, not only financially,
but are politically stressed on what to teach and whom to teach
it to.
The old rebels ought to know the system of education
reflects the values of its culture. What is taught their offspring
is a political decision more concerned with churning out docile
consuming masses than with across the board high quality
education
RON COBB
EYE OF THE TIGER
BY MARGARET FRIMOTH
our values and use of our tools of power for their gain. Children
learn incredibly fast.
How much can we take from children for our own profit
and not expect a backlash? How much abuse and trauma do we
expect children to withstand before counteracting? How different
are they from us? Here’s an easy example. Imagine living in a
house with 25 people unrelated to you. How would you react to
the chaos — or the rigid control in the house (Z.e., classroom)?
What are we thinking when we send our children to an under
funded, so-called “educational environment" that cannot protect,
cherish and attend to our children? What in the world is wrong
with our thinking that we would even consider less funding for
our schools?
By our actions, what are really teaching our children?
Here's another easy example to consider. Imagine that a
co-worker “popped" you (Z.e., hit you) in the face, and when you
reported it to your boss, you were questioned about your part in
the situation and then told to return to work with the person who
assaulted you — who was now blaming you for making the boss
angry.What would you do? How would you react? Kids have this
experience all the time, except that the co-worker is a parent.
How dare we blame our children for “acting out."
How can we build our financial and corporate empires
and let schools and families fall apart? It’s not the way the world
has to be! The world can be a better place by first making it safe
for all our children. Not just the rich kids. Not just the white kids.
Not just the cute kids. Not just the nice kids. We need to make
our world safe for all our kids.
Children need the focus to be on them. They need to be
the center of attention. Their world is the most important, and
those of us who portend adulthood are responsible for valuing
children’s lives. They need to be surrounded by adults and other
children who cherish, protect, love and educate them. If we
cannot provide this, then we should not be surprised by the
outcomes.
Look the social tiger directly in the eyes and say yes to
the possibilities of a much better future. Begin here in our com
munity. Begin today!
What if we have it all wrong?
What if it could be better than we could ever imagine?
What if we respect the land as we develop and prosper?
What if we really loved our children?
What if the word was safe?
If you believe any of the What //possibilities, then you
are looking directly into the eyes of the social change tiger.
Being close to recognizing the possibilities can take your
breath away, leave you gasping for a bit of common air. It can
be exhilarating — a mind rush like no other. Diamond faceted
clarity. Bouncing prisms of light (and understanding) in every
direction at once.
But it can be dangerous to believe fully. So dangerous
in fact that fear can send you fleeing back to the mainland. Solid
ground on which you are familiar. Terra Firma. Something you
can touch with your own hands. A place where you can breathe,
though the air be heavy. Unshackled by the burden of possibili
ties. A known place. A place to stay put.
What holds us back? What moves us forward? When
we move forward are we moving over the backs of others?
Doesn’t that hold us back? How can we move forward without
hurting others, the land, ourselves?
A mind quieted by fear subdues the possibilities of
change. Social change theory evokes the raging mind. It is in
this rage, this well-fire of possibilities that I watch for glimmers
of truth. Rage is after all just energy. It is rage that breaks
through the desire to hold back, to not change. It is rage that
festers like an infection demanding attention. Rage that desires
healing, inflamed until tended.
This is the rage of children’s violence. In the big picture
this violence is a natural rhythm, an ebb and flow. Cause and
effect. Violence is power. Children have little power. Love,
attention, care, respect and value can balance the lack of power.
But without the balance...
Children want, perhaps even need power.Violence gives
adults power Perhaps our adult intrigue with violence, our use
of violence as entertainment, our mix of violence and sexual
intimacy, gives unquestionable value to violence, especially in
the eyes of children. Perhaps we value violence more than we
value children. Then, of course, children will imitate and bond to
Education has its sinister side after all. The risk of
teaching children the techniques of things is that they might
think Thinking does not need education, but without an
educated guess on the status of the universe, intelligence is
in a vacuum The educated thoughts of individuals are often at
variance with the social molding of public education and prefer
change and progress over conformity and stability.
“My generation does not have a big voice in American
government. Our concerns are rarely heard by those in power,"
Kelly Hoffman wrote “ We need our leaders to work together to
improve the future True leaders look to the future and they
have a vision that goes beyond political parties and reelections
Our leaders need to lead the country to a better future "
Abbie Hoffman (no relation to Dustin or Kelly) had it
right when he said, “You cannot have change without the young.
The young have the creativity, they have the energy, they have
the impatience You need the youth to dissent."
Margaret Frimoth is the Director of VOCA (Victory Over
Child Abuse) Camp. For information about training dates call
325-2761.
REALITY TV
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