Racist? Speak for yourself!

The Torch Has been Passed to a New Generation — and It Doesn’t Include Racism

by Hannah Giles

Every generation feels misunderstood by those preceding it. And it doesn't help matters that the older generations, and establishments, feel obligated to wield the Hammer of Thor against every move and thought we make. Yet, this is how societies develop, grow, evolve and ultimately survive. It's like passing a torch in life's grand race.

The thing is, my generation has some problems with the torch we are about to take off with, and we aren't shy about letting the uppers know.

Boldness, zeal, angst, creativity, action and openness are characteristics of youth. Life is a mystery and the brevity of our lives prevents us from accessing many of its clues. We want meaning, purpose, acknowledgement and the ability to prove to the older generation that we are indeed serious about our roles in life, even if we don't know what that is.  And so we take actions, we unite behind leaders and explore the depths of our persona.

It is when we act, and act effectively, that the big dogs get frustrated. By acting, and establishing our generational brand, we force the established thoughts, groups and figures to not only question their life's work and purpose, but to recognize the inevitable passing of the torch.

This is where conflict arises. Rather than gracefully welcoming us to the world stage, offering a wink and a tip of the hat, the dominant forces try their hardest to break us down and shoo us out of town. They will even accuse upcoming whippersnappers of things outside of our realm of experience in order to discredit us within their own circles.

Which, I might add, is a great Saul Alinsky tactic:

Whenever possible, go outside the expertise of the enemy. Look for ways to increase insecurity, anxiety and uncertainty. (This happens all the time. Watch how many organizations under attack are blind-sided by seemingly irrelevant arguments that they are then forced to address.)

Take last week for example, when Max Blumenthal launched an attack on James O'Keefe claiming racism. Yes racism, a concept and word my generation has been taught to reject, and an experience we have never actually endured.

In fact, I'd go so far as to say my generation is colorblind. We modern-day American kids were born into a free and equal society, and our familiarity with institutional racism begins and ends with our textbooks. Our parents, schools and culture have conditioned us to not judge natural characteristics of our fellow man. Lessons from the past have shown that doing so results in a second-rate society that holds itself back from operating at optimum levels.

Take a look at my age group:

1. Our schools have never been segregated. Those days are long gone in relation to our time on earth and the development of our society.

2. We are more likely to throw a fit about someone's eating habits, clothing, athletic affiliation, political stance, religious views and preferred music genre, than the skin color of our peers.

3. We played a major role in electing President Obama, who is not only the first black president of the U.S. but also the first man to be a minority in the nation he was elected to lead.

Since race has never been an issue for those of and around my age, we are able to conduct higher levels of human bonding. We group ourselves according to ideologies, coming together and uniting around self-determined topics, attractions and goals.  Don't get me wrong. We are not the flower children full only of peace and love. Cultural conflicts still exist, and will continue to exist so long as man has a mind he can call his own.