Ever stumble upon that certain individual who always has something to say? I propose that campuses across the country are full of people who say a lot, but have nothing to say. They're the compendium of knowledge at the dinner table that can't shut up about the outrages that are going on in some underprivileged nation tens of thousands of miles away. They're the spotlight hungry sycophant seated beside your disgusted grimace in class XYZ.
Many of you may be thinking, "But isn't this the fostering environment that endorses freedom of speech and social consciousness?" Of course, but does this necessarily mean that we should stand for reckless debate that only seems to inflate the already bulging ego of the youth of today? Shouldn't an opinion be respected enough to be more than a random occurrence sparked by a segment on "The Daily Show?"
There seems to be a growing trend among media in that they indoctrinate Americans with a sense of entitlement. Recently, in a deeply enthralling newscast of "CNN Headline News," I was treated to this trivial factoid: "Britney Admits Baby Driving Mistake." How is this news? More importantly, why do Americans feel they need to have a say in the life of this post-pregnancy pop princess? The American people are entitled to know. The American student is entitled to know. The Amherst student is entitled to bloviate. Not only has opinion become the news, but the news seems to reflect the growing conscience of viewers like you. And no, this isn't a Public Broadcasting Station announcement.
But I digress. The opinion of one student can become the fact of another, just as the insipid news bulletins of the world can make "Headline News." The vision of a well-informed public that carefully delivers its opinions seems a bit ideal, but I don't see anything wrong in at least striving for the idyllic. The students of today are the journalists and news anchors of tomorrow. Not to mention the political pundits.
Speaking of political pundits, let's rant about the error of a 65 year-old man, and not to mention, cardiovascular patient (I added his chronic medical condition for sympathy). What's that? He accidentally shot a fellow geriatric while quail hunting? This is a big story. Let's divert our attentions from Iraq to watch this drama unfold because after all, it's as American as apple pie and high civilian death counts. The flux of media attention this garnered simply shocked and awed my already cynical societal perspective. Perhaps had 78 year-old Whittington died, we'd have Dick Cheney arraigned for euthanasia, let alone murder.
Whose responsibility is it to monitor the media? The individuals reading these words look like a superior start. Global advertising giants cater to consumers and formulate their news stories based upon such metrics; in some ways it's just a glorified popularity contest. Eventually, as the population's interest in serious world affairs dwindles, television viewers will be subject to exposés on the latest vacation getaways of "Brangelina," along with exhilarating infomercials brazenly pimping said locales. We are in the midst of a total media shift that starts with the careless mindset of a pupil of popular culture and ends in millions of living rooms across this country.
The true root of this burgeoning dilemma falls in the laps of youth culture. Sure, we have our protests and our initiatives to divest in gruesome labor practices, which seem to be conducted with the best of intentions. However, where are these intentions coming from? Are they the bourgeois charity case of the moment or the deep-seeded concern we ostensibly hope them to be? More poignantly, has American social consciousness fallen into the clutches of the trendsetters and opulent appetites of cosmopolitan society? Is Afghanistan the new Armani?
Maybe our social landscapes are innately grand marketplaces where human livelihood is a commodity. Perhaps my own stock has just been shorted. Regardless of hollow intentions, many may dispute that at least something that wouldn't have been accomplished otherwise is now a reality. To them I say: While this is true, a false sense of altruism has been engendered among thousands and when push comes to shove these initiatives dissipate into empty promises. It reminds me of the countless individuals who write lists to get through their day:
1) Take out the trash
2) Call home
3) Do laundry
4) Go shopping
5) Advocate for Tibetan independence
Points of social advocacy are in danger of becoming just another addition to the daily agenda. Rather than being met with impassioned dedication, these issues are subscribed to a tedious category. Henry Ward Beecher, an alumnus of Amherst College whose likeness stands just outside the Octagon, once said, "In this world it is not what we take up, but what we give up, that makes us rich." What are you giving up?
It seems to me that if one's philanthropic objectives are born of the "résumé mentality," not much is being sacrificed. As discussed above, opinions habitually fall into this frame of mind as well. It seems to be all about image.
So, next time you check yourself out in the mirror, think of the children.
El-Chayeb can be reached at
jelchayeb@amherst.edu