I'm not a partcularly political person. I try to be informed, I take a certain pride in being on top of current events, and I know my rights. It doesn't take a leftist radical to recognize the crash-and-burn conditions our government is wading through. At least it shouldn't.
The U.S is in the midst of one the largest economic collapses in history. Our current war(s) in the Middle East are costing us upwards of $800 million dollars a day ($720 million/day in Iraq alone in 2007. 1). An act that went into effect in July '10 gave an additional $1.12 trillion for military operations (2). Education costs keep rising. The citizen's main military focus is 'Don't ask Don't tell' and whether our gays can openly serve in a war with plummeting approval rates.
No one is doing anything.
No one seems to care.
No one seems to notice.
This week in London, multiple student protests turned to violent rioting. The protests, meant to showcase disapproval of Parliment passing a tuition hike (the bill gives universities the option to triple current prices while removing the National allowance for underprivaledged students). (3).
Students gathered for peaceful marches and were met by riot police wielding batons and shields. Eventually, as groups were pushed into smaller quarters (a military manuver called 'kettling'), demonstraters fought back, rushing the line, tossing sticks, bottles, paintballs, and pieces of concrete.
Mounted police in full riot gear charged thier horses into the crowds, driving students back, crushing and trampling others. A student journalist was thrown from his wheelchair by officers and dragged across the streets (4).
In some cases the violence was more than likely provoked by student instigators. In other reports, the officers threw the first stone, as it were.
Where's this blow meant to land?
Oh, right:
(50,000 marchers in Westminster, reported 32 arrests, 17 injuries including 4 officers, one student was admitted to the hospital with brain damage after being "struck repeatedly with a police truncheon" 5).
My point being,
there was this much outrage, display, and passion about a proposed hike in the cost of learning, and yet our country, our youth, do nothing about any of the controversy in the U.S.
I'm embarrassed for and by my generation.
I'm not suggesting we storm the White House or light the Rockefeller tree on fire, but we've got to do something. We have no passion, and we have plenty to be angry about. So why don't we take action? Why don't we do anything? Are we really that busy? Or do you just have that much faith in our government? I hope not.
http://www.moveon.org/
1)Washington Post
2)Congressional Research Service (www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/rl33110.pdf)
3) New York Times
4)Life on Wheels
5) BBC news
photos: boston.com/bigpicture/2010/12/london_tuition_fee_protest.html
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