To everyone who hates me right now

[Jed Dilligan]

I'd like to explain a couple of things.

I don't hate you personally because of your age or your opinions. What I hate is being stereotyped as apathetic or ignorant because my generation is reacting differently to this war from the way the Baby Boom generation (or a small minority of them, really) reacted to the Vietnam War. It seems that some members of that generation, and perhaps the "Greatest" Generation, too, loves the idea of drafting us to "wake us up" to what's wrong with the war and the country and the world.

If that describes you, I'd just like to ask you to count the blessings you had that we didn't. Like virtually free college for all qualified candidates. Or a police state that was, in comparison to today's, almost nonexistent. Or a living wage for nearly all full-time workers. Or a government that actually took note and responded when you protested. Or nutritious, non-poisoned food at regular, not specialty stores. Or a healthy small business sector in which smart, enterprising people could succeed.

People my age and younger never even caught a glimpse of that world. Most of us are neither ignorant nor unaware of the way the system works and the injustices in this country. We bear the brunt of the state's most oppressive policies. Our silence, which appears to be apathy, has always been a protest.

I am one of an apparently growing number of members of the X- and Y-generations who have begun to support the Democratic party in response to the ascendancy of George W. Bush. It was not ignorance or apathy that prevented me from supporting the party before. My non-votes were votes against the farce that this country is a democracy, and the fiction that I am governed by my consent.

More of us showed up this election than ever before. Our participation probably changed the outcome considerably. But now it's up to the party to show us that our voices were heard. It is not up to us to "wake up" and stop the war. It is up to the new majority in Congress to force Bush out of Iraq using budgetary pressure. That is the ONLY thing that will work. Claiming it is the apathy or ignorance of young people, or any people for that matter, is just blame-shifting by the politicians who DO have the power to stop it.

Question is, do they have the guts?