While there is a parallel between the current war in Iraq and the battle in Vietnam of our parent's generation, there seems to be something lacking as well: namely that our generation fails to have deep sentiments about the prospect of war and for good reason. The majority of the student population looked at the conflict in Vietnam through a lens of anxiety surrounding an impending draft notice, and thus it became far more personal. I question how many high school graduates of private institutions enlisted last year. I venture to estimate that very few did. Of all the individuals I have spoken with about the war in Iraq, only one has any relation whatsoever to someone actually involved. Moreover, it seems that students of our generation are simply ambivalent about war. We have been raised in a culture that prides itself on being PC, on being open to other opinions and cultures and thus, it should come as no surprise that such behavior extends into the political arena as well, propelling us to consider even the most striking political issues with a degree of rationality, careful consideration and an elevated degree of openness to different opinions. While the "flower children" of the 1960s and the '70s grew up in a time of massive social change that included national debates over free speech, civil rights and feminist movements, in recent years, there are few political, social or cultural issues that serve to unite the sentiments of the public. In 2002, for example, a mere 28 percent of college freshmen said they followed politics, as surveyed by the Higher Education Research Institute in Los Angeles. Comparatively, a striking 66 percent did in 1966.
More than simply a result of shifting and expanding cultural perspectives, our generation was raised in the height of '90s affluence and prosperity. As a result of being born during an intense economic boom, the majority of my college peers have never been faced with hard choices or limitations. We have been given so much opportunity and chance, that when it comes to analyzing difficult problems beyond our realm of experience, it can often times be difficult.
Moreover, our generation has been raised during a rather calm period in our government's history. While our parents' generation was led to seriously question the government's actions during Watergate, the Civil Rights Movement and the Cold War, we have never been asked to question any practices save their personal escapades and morals. We are a generation untainted by corruption and our reality has been, for the most part, free of strife.
Truth be told, I have had very few conversations with my peers about the current war in Iraq. We seem to be programmed to share the opinion that on a fundamental level, war itself is bad and killing innocent citizens and bystanders should be evaded. One cannot look through the paper, see pictures of such intense destruction and devastation and claim that they are not moved in some fashion. However, such imagery seems far away and acutely removed from our lives. We cannot imagine being concerned about obtaining fresh water because our President has polluted the source, or a government that assassinates national athletes who don't perform up to expectation. We cannot fathom living in a war-zone or having to genuinely worry about bomb scares and air raids.
Although U.S. citizens cannot comprehend life in a war-zone, no rational or compassionate human being can claim to support the devastation of the lives of innocent bystanders, and thus at some level, they do oppose war. However, because college students have had no reason to question the actions of our government during their lifetime, it seems almost absurd that we should spontaneously begin to do so. Consequently, strong anti- and pro-war sentiments have dissipated and been replaced by a intent viewing, almost comparable to that of a moviegoer. The few that do feel the need to speak out in favor of war, and I will concede that this is particularly the case at our predominantly liberal college, are jumped upon by their peers and labeled outlandish.
Thus I am led to ask, should we be concerned about the seemingly muted political opinions of our generation? And if so, what exactly can we do about it? The answer seems to lie in the undeniable patriotism of our nation's youth, the sole sentiment that serves to cross political, cultural and social lines in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. While few people I know can claim to feel direct effects of the war in Iraq, it is undeniable that each and every one of us has felt the effects of Sept. 11, if it is in something as minute as increased airport security or as extreme as the loss of a family member. While campuses may seem rather apathetic towards the prospect of war in comparison to previous generations, there is no absence of national pride. In a time of war, we must shift our focus from a critique of our national leaders, to the support of our nation as a whole. While we can never imagine what life in Iraq is like-and our personal opinions about the attack may seem uncertain and tentative-we can unite in pride, at least for the time being.