A DailyKos diary titled
"Perspective from a Wee Activist" got me to thinking about younger individuals who are starting to question (we hope) the world around them.
The individual who posted this diary appears to be in their teens, at the age when all kinds of things come into question: the beliefs of their parents, their peers, their teachers, their clergy. It is a tumultuous time for an individual, when body and mind struggle with changes from within and without.
More below the fold:
In the diary, the author asks what he and his peers can do to get past the simple political beliefs of others his age. He describes their beliefs as "I hate
X", and wonders how he gets that simple statement to become more.
I believe the answer to his question lies in one word - "Why".
In this one word lies the power of change. By asking why they "hate" X, they begin to understand how X can be changed. And that is the beginning of activism.
We often bemoan the growing apathy among voters, citizens, youth, etc., wishing that people would care more. But in the past few years we have seen more and more emphasis on uniformity, less on individuality. In fact, in our attempts to make others feel good about themselves, we have become so "politically correct" that we want to pretend there are no real differences.
Conservatives have taken this to an extreme, assuming that since we are all the same, we must all be like them. We see this more and more as ultra-conservative groups pass judgment on those with whom they disagree, assuming that we should all share their beliefs.
Those on the liberal side of the fence haven't really helped. The spice of life, variety, is being systematically removed in favor of not offending. And in the process, the conservative view is reinforced. If there is no difference, we must all be like them.
And this is where youth must begin to question. If they accept either the conservative or liberal rationales without question, the system has no chance for change, no hope of improving. We must help youth to question, to ask "why", to wonder "what if". We need to encourage questioning, foster curiosity, nurture their desire to understand the world they are growing into.