Mission Statement
Previous Issue
Myspace
Editorials
Staff Bios
Feedbackour Mailing L
|
Mission Statement |
|
| June 2008 | ||
Editorials:
|
||||||||
What a Change from Four Years Ago
Much of my time as an undergraduate student at West Chester University had been spent getting involved with local political organizations and even helping to create an anti-war group on campus, Students Stand Up for Peace. For four years, I joined friends to hold vigils, rallies, open-mike nights and whatever other events we could think of to raise political awareness. But I always saw the same faces at every event, and students I did not know always shrugged and walked by when I tried to hand them activism literature. Today, I’m still not certain why some young people were so disengaged from politics a few years ago, but I can’t blame it on the location. West Chester is the seat of Chester County, the fastest-growing, wealthiest county in the state, and a suburb of Philadelphia. But for some reason, the university was not a hotbed for political activity while I was there, though the area does have a rich history of Quaker anti-war activism. A few years later, everything has changed. During the peak of the exhaustive Democratic presidential primary season, I heard young people at bars, cafes, parties and the grassy quads of college campuses talk about the electrifying race for the White House between Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton. I saw both Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama speak when they came to my hometown of Scranton. And at both events, swarms of young people waved signs and wore pins to support their choice for president. They even nudged forward in the crowd to pledge time to volunteer for the candidates. I also know the candidates or their surrogates stopped by my former college during the Pennsylvania primary season, and according to the messages I read on Facebook and other social networking websites, I know a lot of students turned out for the events. It is sure different from four years ago. Back in 2004, I saw some signs for Sen. John Kerry in some of the windows of dorms and apartments around my campus, but nothing like the visible support that had existed for Obama and Clinton during the weeks leading up to the Pennsylvania Democratic primary. For young people, I don’t think Kerry’s droning speeches represented what may be the most underdefined and overused term of this election season: change. Obama has made his campaign all about change from the beginning. He has painted himself as a Washington outsider who is not tied to lobbyists. His campaign slogan has been “Change You Can Believe In.” Before her campaign woes, Clinton had also jumped on the bandwagon and asked supporters at countless rallies if they’re ready for change. Whether the Democrats can end the war in Iraq, provide healthcare to more Americans and remedy the troubled economy has yet to be seen. All are enormous promises. But this country is in a historic period not only because it appears likely an African American has clinched the Democratic nomination and a woman made a solid run for the presidency, but young people are playing an enormous role in the process. I hope young people remain engaged in politics come this fall election season and continue fighting for the change that is drastically needed after the rule of the Bush Administration. |
Rotating Agenda
Did anyone get their economic stimulus check? While Bush plans on fixing the economy by rewarding American citizens with free money, our country falls into deeper debt and inflation. Many even attach the increase in gas cost to the weakened American dollar. We should not only allow ourselves to view the problems as being caused by our country but possibly by us as well. Through self evaluation, we can easily see that giving a stimulus check to a struggling economy is like giving a college student Christmas money when he can’t afford rent. While many might expect the student to squander the money on beer and CDs, the reality is that the student will likely pay this month’s rent. When I receive my economic stimulus check, I’ll be paying off some credit card debt. Isn’t that what we should be doing? The economy is crashing around us. With credit card debt and gas prices skyrocketing, the stimulus check offers a short breath of air from these bills. But in order for the economy to truly improve through donated money, the people need to purchase more goods, not begin to undo their debt. So we drown ourselves with new CDs and videogame purchases. How about the New York Giants? The new episode of Lost is coming on soon. Anything to distract us from the real issues. While we may not agree with everything about each candidate and political side, are we really seeing them for the actual issues? Or are we simply internalizing what the media wants us to focus on? We live our lives searching for clarity and yet we ignore that we ourselves have Father Wrights, Mr. Clintons, and public misstatements on foreign policy that could and should lead to our own setback. The economy isn’t a key issue because of the War in Iraq. The War in Iraq isn’t the key issue because of Obama calling a woman “Sweetie.” Obama calling a woman “Sweetie” isn’t the key issue because of gay marriage, etc. Before any one issue can be resolved, we allow ourselves to be distracted by the next one. Oh wait. What was I talking about? Oh yeah, the stimulus check. But you are already beyond that. So who are you voting for in the next election? Will the Patriots win it all this time? Are gas prices going to break five dollars a gallon? In order to come to a sense of resolution about the things that really impact our lives, we need to be willing to maintain a strong focus and deal with what’s going on in our world rather than the fictitious worlds and entertainment forums that numb us. But before we can do this, we must recognize the symptoms of our complacency. Maybe this year we can uncover our suppression and lack of acknowledgement of the real issues.
|
|
||||||
Mission Statement | Editorials | Staff Bios | Feedback | Email Login | Join Our 'Zine's Team | Myspace Copyright: 2008 |
