Do you think we, the current youths of America are more accepting?

[coloradodem2005]

than previous generations?

I was at a Kerry youth Krew meeting and we talked a little about that. Sometimes I think it is true, but where I grew up, I have seen otherwise. What do you think?

[mark414]

1. what i do know

is that our generation is more likely to volunteer (40%) than any other, and on one specific issue, younger people were both more accepting and more supportive of the idea of gay marriage (about 50%)

[NEOBuckeye]

2. We are, and things will get better as old fools like Cheney and GHWB die

and take their old, fogyish ways with them. There's no place in today's world for their level of selfishness, stubbornness, callous warmongering and greed. The world will be better for their passing, just as it will be better for the younger, more tolerant and open-minded generations that are rising up to take their places.

[coloradodem2005]

3. I think it is interesting that people are letting them get away with it.

The selfishness I mean. I also see too many kids who support this. People my age too.

[seabeyond]

6. i want to get kids out of private to a good public school

but spaces are limited. my son has a friend with a single father working 6 days a week, barely making it and can no longer pay for the private school. the area he lives in has poor elementary schools. we were talking the other day, the woes of it and i told him, go to this other school, that has money, high expectation of kids. i picked up an application for him and after he fills it out will take it back

he is in same grade as older son and husband said, they will take jonathon (mexican) over edmund and you may lose edmunds spot.

oh i say, that would be fine, i love jonathon and i want him to have the opportunities and we can continue to pay for the private til a spot opens, but no way would i deny jonathon a spot

saying.............

selflessness is where we have to come back to. instead of the people that have wanting to have more, we need to say, we are doing fine, let the opportunity go to others

i can buy the big suv and protect my children, but the poor cannot and will cause them safety issues, and is selfish in consumption of oil

i will pay my taxes, and i want corporate to pay theirs, and the rich to pay theirs, and i want the able to go get the job and off welfare, but those that need, i want my money there, and those that are struggling like jonathons father, i want programs in place so they can make it.

[seabeyond]

4. i keep telling my 6 & 9 yr old boys & 11 yr old niece

this mess we are creating in all our stupidity is theirs to fix. so better be aware now, so you can do the work later. sitting at table tonight older kids teasing youngest and i say yes but you are going to be president to the 6 yr old. yes he says. and he is going to be there to help people, and stop all these crazy rules, and he is going to have a female be president with him, so we can finally stop the silliness of only males, and have our first female president.

told him, better happen before then, wink

kids are informed and participate, if the parents do. i did when i was little, and i do now, old. as will my kids

[yardwork]

5. Interesting question.

I was defending "kids today" on another board when a fundie got going about how "kids today" have no respect for values blah blah blah vomit puke etc....

My kids are 13 and 11. It seems to me that they and their friends are more accepting of people's differences than my generation was at the same age, and my generation was better at this than my parent's generation.

Religion, ethnicity, sexuality - these are not very controversial issues in my kids' peer groups, as far as I can tell. In fact, a lot of things that I discussed fervently and at great length with my friends at that age are a big yawn to many teens today. They accept people for what they are, period.

That attitude (your concerns are a big yawn, mom) extends to politics, too. They don't want to hear about Bush vs. Kerry. I'm a little worried about that.

I can't figure out if they are just tired of me talking about things (probably), way ahead of me, apathetic, or just being young teens.

In other words, I dunno.

(P.S. I figure that morans and bigots are raising kids in their own image, so it's probably a mixed bag in any case.)

[Feanorcurufinwe]

7. I think so.

Honestly despite what the media still tries to assert, the hippies and forces of liberation won the culture wars decades ago. The countercultural flowering of the 60s was a turning point for humanity, imho, and pardon my rare display of idealism. A lot of the RW cultural backlash could be described as the death throes of the old order. Yes, despite continuing problems, I agree with your perception, I also believe that bigotry and prejudice are much less acceptable in society than in years past, the equal protection of the laws is more likely for all than in the past, etc. Sure there are plenty of negative trends as well but that is no reason to deny that in some areas, society has improved.

[DemBones DemBones]

8. Sure. We taught our children well. You're our children

and we taught you to be more accepting.

We accepted the changes that came when we were children and through young adulthood, particularly, but we kept having to readjust as our consciousnesses were expanded. Then we were able to pass along our new and improved worldview to you.

I'm not saying our generation was better than yours, I'm saying that every generation makes some progress over the one before (with the exception of those people who don't, the "morans," who just aren't paying attention, of course.)

[NoodleBoy]

9. I think it's going both ways

Of the youths who are more accepting, they seem to become more accepting. Of the ones who are more discriminating, they seem to become more discriminating. Although I think that's the current trend in the country for almost everyone.

However, an English teacher I had last year, who had been teaching for many years, had said that the youngest generation entering college has been the most interested and most willing to learn about other cultures and languages then any of the ones she's known before. That bodes well... but that only holds for the college population.