This article certainly got me thinking. I was amazed by the Madison protests that we watched in class, but this article saddened me. Before 2008 I felt any number of emotions towards our government, our way of living, our country's stand in the world--but velleity was at the forefront. When I felt the spark of change I dosed it myself, believing I had no right to try and change the world when I couldn’t even ace a math test. It was the campaigns and my personal connection to them, for all their ridiculousness, that chucked that way of thinking out of my mind.
In a time when messages can appear in our hands instantly, I was confused by the writer's stance on technology. In a recent Time magazine, there was an article on how people rallied in D.C. for gay rights. They used Facebook to get the word out. The difference, I think, between Smith's students and these gay rights advocates was only that the latter actually cared. You can fill a person's head with whatever war info you want. You can shove newspapers under their nose, keep the TV on the news, or whatever. They still won't care in most cases. A personal connection can inspire far more concern than death tolls and war stories that don’t relate to the average teenager.
I was somewhat irked when “Lampert Smith: Times have changed for students protesters” pointed out that people preferred to gaze longingly at a screen than address the giant gorillas in the room. I can understand, I can empathize, but I can’t defend that kind of apathy. But as Buhle mentioned, times have changed—society, humanity, feelings—and it’s evident everywhere. A simple change in the American mindset could do wonders. Don't expect people to do things for you. If you want something, don't just sit on your butt and pray; don't complain about a president who's not working fast enough, hard enough. Get up and do something. Turn your thought into words into action into change. Thinking can be tough, doing something can be painful, but when you change the world for the better you'll be glad you miss that Grey's Anatomy episode.
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I'm glad you brought up the gay rights rally--I was looking for an example of a time when technology helped. It seems obvious that it should, but maybe it also creates new opportunities for escapism and misinformation?
ReplyDeleteYeah, I think it attributes to escapism and misinformation a lot. wen ppl txt i thnk we lose contxt, u kno???/? We don't get the face-to-face experience with texting or facebook. It can be hard to fully communicate without visual cues. It can lead to empty lol's and misunderstandings. I like texting, it's convenient, but it's a mixed bag of results.
ReplyDeleteI'm very wordy tonight. Jeez.