Olga Bonfiglio is a professor at Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and author of Heroes of a Different Stripe: How One Town Responded to the War in Iraq. She has written for several national magazines on the subjects of social justice and religion.
This is an inspirational story about how and why young adults are inextricably part of the solution in America; they see the world not merely as a bleak, dystopian place, but a world in which they can not only make a difference but also BE the difference.
They know the heavy burden, yet they are driven by a world-changing challenge, as they see it, in an exuberant and fresh paradigm, which may ultimately define the next generation and transform a nation by annexing “hope” and “yes we can” as their own.
Perhaps, in my opinion, this is why the younger voters, who historically take little interest in politics, and normally are largely ignored, have been so galvanized by Obama’s message of hope.
Maybe, Obama’s mantra of “yes we can” has transcended him and sparked a new, unsullied, and not jaded group of young men and women who found a clarion call in a new age of participatory civic responsibility.
We can only hope.
-Frank J. Ranelli, Senior Editor - Op Ed News
by
Frank J. Ranelli (66 articles, 143 quicklinks, 29 diaries, 383 comments)
on Wednesday, February 20, 2008 at 10:49:42 PM
Ron Paul cured so many people's apathy I'm curious to know if you went there with your class, after all Ron Paul is THE Peace candidate (and Huck stays in the race because if McCain falls over...and Huck had dropped...well...that makes Ron Paul a shoe in, at least for those who actually put PEACE into ACTION).
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Jeanette Doney (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 6 diaries, 304 comments)
on Thursday, February 21, 2008 at 1:05:25 AM
It is heartwarming to read of the involvement of the next generation of our nation's leaders. I hope that they will get involved politically as , unless we change the system, unless we make the thrust of government answerable to the electorate and not the corporate interests that have distorted the intent of our founders, then no amount of organic gardening or cold showers will have much effect.
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ardee D. (6 articles, 4 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 2377 comments)
on Thursday, February 21, 2008 at 6:50:24 AM
and he is frustrated that there it does not seem he is needed or any work can be done. And I just say,'If after you leave there will be people there remembering you with kind words that would be your accomplishment.'
That simple.
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Mark Sashine (54 articles, 19 quicklinks, 250 diaries, 3594 comments)
on Thursday, February 21, 2008 at 7:51:25 AM
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