I have not given the war in Afghanistan any of my time.
This topic of the War forced me to step outside of my own hectic personal life and admit that what I would like to know about the war in Afghanistan is a much larger subject matter than what I already know. I credit this to the tendency millenials, such as I, have of being self absorbed. But in the circumstances we are encountering presently, is that really as bad as an idea as it may seem?
I don’t think so. I’ll fight for my generation’s common lack of political savvy any day when confronted by unknowing Baby Boomers who may label us as being negatively self-absorbed, technologically distracted (i.e. Facebook, Call of Duty, gossip sites), or simply too lazy to follow the news. Although in some cases these assumptions may be valid, they are not the main reason many of us don’t know what’s going on and it’s absurd to think that we don’t care.
I’m going to take a leap of faith and make some sweeping statements about my generation, but I have an inkling these ones won’t cause me to fall on my face. I believe my generation finds keeping up with global issues difficult because there is already so much new information in front of our faces everyday. We’re college aged for heaven’s sake. Many of us are living on our own for the first time learning how to manage our own space, transportation, food sources, and money. The woes of living solo are only half of our focus when combined with college courses and extra curricular activities. Many of us, specifically here at the University of California Berkeley, are not simply going through the motions but sincerely striving to be our best by absorbing as much knowledge as possible and fitting in as many extra curriculars as we can. My point is that we’re not unconcerned or lazy; we’re busy! And to our adult counterparts who have already mastered the art of busyness and political savvy, Right on! But don’t condemn us for still being in the process.
Although I can give you a never ending laundry list of my generation’s concerns and more reasons why the war is commonly not one of our top priorities at the moment, I’m going to instead digress to what I care to know about Afghanistan and the “War on Terror” as the media chooses to label it (if that’s even what they call it now. I haven’t checked lately). Why is what I care to know important? Because what I care to know will affect how I will vote. What my generation cares to know will affect how they will vote. And if you know anything about the last presidential election, you know my generation’s voice is important (whether you like it or not).
My concerns are for the lives lost and the mental and social wellbeing of not only our soldiers but the civilians in Afghanistan. My worries are that we’re sacrificing people for politics and that the real reason for the war is so manipulated and hidden that I will never really know what is morally right. In that case, when examining Obama’s war tactics come voting time, should we strictly focus on what he has gained us as a country? Should we be wooed by the strength of our army and our ability to control nations? Or should we fight to uncover what our government officials are really striving to get out of this whole mess?
That is what I would like to know….when I get the time.
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