Misplaced Passion

The campaign tactics of organizations attempting to increase the youth vote on Election Day have made voting seem like the trendiest thing a young person can do this year. While it's good to see young people respond to a positive media-produced message, I can't help being annoyed by the fact that something as important as picking the leader of our country had to be wrapped in shiny pop and hip-hop culture packaging for us to take it seriously.

True, this is the election year when every liberal young adult is consumed by the desire to end the Bush administration's reign, but I wonder how many would be concerned at all if it weren't for the media and pop world's leftist slant?

If Michael Moore didn't make that film, how many would expend energy to learn about happenings caused by decisions made by the Bush administration? If P. Diddy didn't say it was hot, how many would actually wear those "Vote or Die" t-shirts? If it weren't suddenly the chicest thing you could do, how many of the newly registered people would bother to vote at all?

Many are of the opinion that young adults - especially university students - have made a generational about-face and gone from the activists of the '60s to apathetic burdens to society in the 21st century. But I would have to say that we suffer more from a case of misplaced sentiments than simple apathy.

At no time am I more aware of this shortcoming than when I turn an introspective eye toward my own community.

Now, I cannot count how many times I've read and been incredibly offended by harsh criticism of my race. I refused to watch re-runs of "The Cosby Show" after Bill Cosby gave his very scathing critique of the entire black race.

I was put off by the fact that his message seemed to lump all blacks into a group of welfare-mothers, wife-beaters and foul-mouthed children with no future. Not all black families are like that. But sadly, enough of them are to create that perception, so holding a mirror to our community and sounding a call for change was necessary - even if it sounded harsh.

I wish someone would hold a mirror to the ever-expanding population of black youths who refuse to do or say anything unless someone in the media says it's "hot," the ones who are only interested in emulating rappers, athletes and movie stars.

These young adults are anything but apathetic; they care a great deal about issues that are of no importance in the grand scheme of things. I'd bet there would be more high school seniors standing in line to spend $150 on the newest pair of Jordans than there would be in line to register to vote. Although, it might be possible that in a year when voting is in vogue, the voter registration line might attract a few fashion forward individuals.

Sure we like to look good, it's a part of our culture to strive to be the best dressed, to have the newest electronic communication device attached to our hips, to drive the hottest cars. There's nothing wrong with looking good, and no one knows how to do this better than us. But I just wish we would care more about the fact that our children are failing out of school at rates that get higher every year, than whether or not they look "fresh to def." I wish we would stop caring more about learning the words to songs about who can be the hardest than the fact that thousands of young black men - with the potential to become the best that society has to offer - lose their lives each year as a result of senseless crime.

Let's make up our own minds about what's hot, regardless of what the latest media trend is. Let's make a move toward caring about the things that will affect us for generations instead of just for a few months. We have all the passion we need, now we just have to redirect our misguided aspirations.