Loss of hope, apathy in political atmosphere damaging to future
Last week, I interviewed an exchange student from France.
One of the topics he spoke about was the increasing political pessimism of the French youth and how these feelings of negativity were reflected in many other aspects of their modern culture as well. While thinking about what he said, I came to the conclusion that the youth of America are really not that different.
Though we may not be where the French are yet, political cynicism is beginning to seep dramatically into our lives. There is one thing that is undeniable: we are losing faith in the political sphere, and we are losing it quickly.
Pessimism may not necessarily be a bad thing. It’s our way to keep a check on what goes on in the higher ranks. Doubting the actions of the government ensures that our standards for it are always kept high. Our negativity is just another part of the system of checks and balances.
But pessimism can be bad. It makes way for constantly disgruntled masses in America, something seen more and more frequently as of late. People are neither satisfied with Obama’s empty resume nor the dramatic proposals of our right-wing Congress, such as the idea of slashing Planned Parenthood funding. No matter what party is in power, it always seems that the majority of people are dissatisfied.
Even worse is political pessimism, especially if drawn out over a prolonged period of time. It inevitably leads to a sort of irreversible apathy. It’s a feeling of personal disconnect from the government, a feeling that you can gain nothing of value from it, and therefore have no obligation to play any role in it either. It’s a dangerous path, and it’s one we might be headed down if we don’t keep in mind that the power is in our hands.
This is not a call to protest or revolt. Quite honestly, we don’t seem to be capable of it. From the embarrassingly low attendance at something as simple as standing on the State House steps to voice our concern about education funding cuts, it is clear that we just don’t have the chutzpah of the youth in Europe or the Middle East.
But let this serve as a reminder to us all, a reminder that dissatisfaction with the status of the state or the nation or the world is no excuse for dispassion. Every political leader or governmental law that we lose faith in should spur a desire within us to see something different. We must keep in mind that losing faith does not have to precede losing hope. If we, the vibrant youth of America, are already resigned to seeing a bleak future, then what else could the future be?
Embrace all the pessimism you want, but don’t let it lead to dispassion. Dispassion fuels inactivity, and ultimately, there is nothing more detrimental to a country as a whole than a mass of apathetic people.