The youth of today seem destined to confront an apocalypse, but we still have the power to decide its nature.
At first glance, the obstacles seem too great to overcome. A power structure dominated by massive corporations, an unstable economy, poor education system, global warming, nuclear weapons, water shortages, and a whole host of other issues all seem poised to destroy us. Generation after generation has allowed these problems to fester; now they are simultaneously coming to a head.
The current ruling generation is too entrenched its their ideas to solve them; they need help from us. Yet the youth of today seem ill-equipped to deal with these problems. Our lazy, entitled, apathetic reputation has to a certain extent been earned-but I look around me and see many of my peers who are willing to dedicate themselves to making the world a better place.
It is these youth that must step up; it is they will decide our future. The future rests on the quality of their work; how well they are able to organize and motivate the rest of their generation to join them. We have the resources necessary to solve or ameliorate all of our problems; it is merely a question of mobilizing these resources and deploying them correctly.
We have seen what a massive, organized popular uprising can do. Obama's election was a milestone in proving what activists can accomplish, but the key for this generation will be to never relent.
We cannot only show up every four years, or even every two. We must keep constant pressure on the system; otherwise, it will spring back into place. The people must control the politicians; if they are allowed to stray, the results will be catastrophic.
We have no other choice; we must take initiative, take control of society as no generation has before us. We must remake our country as a true democracy-or allow the world to fall into ruin.