Thursday, October 16, 2008

To The New Great Generation

It is a momentous time in our history as a country. The national conscience is focused on the demise of our corporate empire and we, the youth, are left to meditate on our future. "Not since the Great Depression..." is a phrase I have heard often in the last two weeks. It describes the burden and challenge the present generation faces as we are still tallying the bill, projecting our future lifestyles and choices.

I arrived to Wall Street on September 2, 2008, hardly aware of the economic crisis about to unfold before me. After living in a mud hut for two years, financial Armageddon was the last thing I expected to come home to. It is becoming more apparent to our generation, the ones who enjoyed our childhoods in the peaceful and prosperous 90’s, that we will need to reorder our society to maintain our quality of life, and possibly advance it.

There are rumblings of a New Great Generation. We could invent our way into a new age. We have been given the best preparation possible for this moment, from our culture of innovation, and comfort with technology, to our access to higher learning institutions. Why can't we take that sexy approach Mac takes to all their products and make environmentally sound gadgets the things we are falling all over ourselves to own? Why can't we, the New Great Generation, take the bull by the horns, learn the numbers and the facts, and rework a system that is based on the values for the new age? It is time we shook off the malaise of consumer culture and took responsibility for ourselves. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Leviathan has stumbled. Are we ready to stand up and lead the future?

Get a higher education.

Vote.