Who says idealism is dead? While the amount of media and communication readily available when compared to the amount of activism present is initially disconcerting, let us not remain unsettled and smug in what many believe is a nation's comfortable complacency.
This is a new world with new problems that are not that much different from the old problems. Only, this time around, there are more people and more voices present. In the last two weeks, on our own campus, we've seen the Olympics debated in the middle of Founder's Plaza by 100-plus students and a campus long march for the environment, students directly calling out UB's academic leaders for their negligence of an issue they pledged to devote considerable time to.
No, this isn't the 1960s, but pinch me if it wasn't refreshing seeing these young whippersnappers fighting for their right to have rights, and a say in what goes on.
It looks like some of those Facebook "Event Invitations" are having an effect. Not enough of an effect, mind you, but you have to start somewhere. And while most students (most people, for that matter) don't want to say that the "War on Terror" is the second coming of Vietnam or that Tibet's relationship to China can be compared to "post-Communist" Russia's continuing oppression of Georgia, the most important thing right now is that said students know where Georgia is on a map.
Sure, 100 students out of 27,000 seems wimpy, brushed off by more than a couple students as "gay" and "a waste of time." But how many other students glanced over at the event going on only several feet away, prompting them to ask someone what was going on.
And that's where it starts: what's going on? Knowing is the first step. Next is doing. Going to the meetings, drinking the free coffee and eating the free donuts and maybe not crumpling up the sheet of paper. And even if you do crumple it up, throwing it into a recycling bin instead of a garbage can.
Complacency is the product of autocracy. For some time now, I've watched most of my friends, myself included, sit on the comfy couch that is democracy and take it all for granted. And why not? You take the iPod you got for Christmas for granted, don't you? The $200 pair of jeans you bought with your credit card? It's understandable.
Being selfish has become as American as baseball. Ironically enough, our nation is the quickest to deem an action as self-centered.
"These sorts of protests are a ridiculous waste of time and a display of absurd nationalism," said one viewer in reference to the China/Tibet protest. Is that all you've got for me? "Absurd nationalism" and then walk away?
If so, fine. I just hope that you're still thinking about it. I hope you went home and Googled it, read the first paragraph of some New York Times article. Hopefully you talked about with your friends and they gave you their opinion.
God knows (and history knows) that protests and activist movements were, and will never be, unanimous. If anything were actually unanimous, there would be no need for idealism and activism.
So use Facebook, use Wikipedia, and hell if you're a little tired of reading the important stuff after a while, use Playboy too.
This is a selfish nation existing in the most selfish of eras. So why not find out what you're all about and make what you're all about what everyone else is all about. And if what you're all about is Rock Band then all right.
But if what's going on in your life is a distinct disagreement with John B. Simpson about a new UB policy, then get off the XBOX 360 and go to his office and tell him so.
And when he ignores you, tell a couple of friends and go back. And if he ignores you then, grab some random strangers and convince them. And you keep going back in there and you keep telling Simpson what's going on until he gives you the answer you want.
Hopefully I'll be right there with you.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
