Maybe The Next Generation Will Do It

The original idea of this Blog, indicated by its title, was that my generation – those of us whose feet both marched for peace and played Twister while high – has abandoned our ideals. We had it, but we gave it up.

My posts, though, have digressed from that theme. Let me come back to it.

I think the 2020 election presents us with another crossroads. Are we going to embrace the new generation of ideas? Are we going to recapture the idealism that we so loudly once proclaimed? Or, are we going to lapse again into our comfortable, materialistic practicality? Are we going to embrace the young (except for Bernie) candidates who propose real change, or are we going to disregard those voices as unrealistic “pie-in-the sky?”

Will we support ideas like free public college and Green New Deals and Medicare for All and Slavery Reparations and other notions of that ilk? Or, are we going to say that those things are silly and unachievable and, heaven forbid, they will require the worst of all possible outcomes in our world – tax increases.

I understand and do not completely reject the idea that our principle goal must be to win. Another Trump term is unthinkable. But, I’m not sure we need to assume that we cannot win with the new ideas, especially if we get behind them with the political weight that we have so far kept in such reserve.

We had our chance to change the world. It’s not that we didn’t do it. Unfortunately, we did. And, God knows, it needs to be changed again. Are we going to blow it this time, too?

The next generation is out there waiting for us. Let’s help them do it.