"While They're Stuck On Stupid In DC, Your Generation Is..."

It is not all bad news over on ThinkProgress, however (read my previous post so you understand what I am referring to).

Earlier this weekend, environmental activist Van Jones addressed 10,000 young activists in Washington, DC. While the purpose of his speech was to motivate his audience into leading the "clean power revolution", he also advocated a different kind of "power revolution".  Mr. Jones, it seems, has similar goals to EAYNUF: he wants us youths to "shift the power" from the current political establishment to ourselves.

Mr. Jones acknowledged that our leaders in Washington are failing us (that is nice to hear, but it is also pretty much the understatement of the century).

Additionally, Mr. Jones seems to have comparatively high opinions of us, as evidenced with these enterprising remarks: "While they're stuck on stupid in DC, your generation is rising".  (I would prefer if he said that my "generation is sinking due to the weight of student loan debt, massive unfunded federal programs, a recessionary economy, bank bailouts, multiple wars, and poor national leadership", but I suppose a little positivity is not a bad thing every now and then).

The most important and inspiring quote from Mr. Jones, however, was this tidbit of sage advice: "You have to be wise enough to hold both parties to high standards".  This quote is really what I want to briefly discuss.

For as long as I can remember (which is about 23 years), this country has been at the mercy of Washington's partisan politics.  Our leaders in Washington attack each other with vicious verbal barbs that do nothing besides bring colleagues and constituents to anger and disgust.  Instead of trying to meet in the middle on issues like responsible adults, both parties turn to petty and petulant bickering that is not even acceptable in high school debate clubs.

It really is no wonder much of the world sees the USA as a joke. The power-brokers in DC continually act like jackasses, and average citizens keep re-electing them.  Pretty stupid, right?

At the end of the day, though, Mr. Jones seemed to be imploring us youths to get away from that partisan divisiveness we see in DC now and work together towards a more just and free country.  

"Shift the power!" Mr. Jones said as he ended his speech to standing ovations and cheers.

This power shift cannot come soon enough, and, we are going to be the ones to initiate it.  Let's just hope we heed Mr. Jones's advice and avoid the crippling errors his generation has made.