Voice of Generation X
“We have been labeled apathetic, lazy, and selfish just to name a few,” says Josie Mazzaferro in her essay entitled, “Turned Off by Politics.” We have been judged in every aspect of society, especially in the political arena. Is there any way for us to clear up these misconceptions given to us by other generations? It seems that the voice of Generation X is silent when it comes to political issues these days. When we talk about politics we often wonder what relevance it has on our lives. Many of us feel that politicians are no longer trustworthy. “I am not saying that every politician is corrupt,” states Mazzaferro, it’s just hard to believe what he or she says is true when our generation has witnessed such harsh realities involving political figures. For example: the Monica Lewinsky ordeal that involved President Clinton. How are we supposed to trust a President who lies and commits forms of adultery to run our country effectively? Still many X’ers are too consumed in themselves to even worry about who is elected to our heads of state. They either think that their votes will not make a difference, or that the majority of people will vote for the same candidates that have been elected again and again by their name recognition alone. We as Generation X need to elect people that can associate themselves with the issues that affect the people today, and the new issues that will arise tomorrow in order to change the politics in this country. These types of situations make it hard for X’ers to take a stand and voice their opinions. What we need is a new political dialogue that will enable our generation to control more political power in this country. This new political dialogue can only begin if we start to become more interested in what goes on outside of our daily lifestyles, because it’s not about us anymore, it’s about them, the future generations to come. We as