RICHARDSON: Solutions versus appearances
I am just coming to realize the real chasm between generations. While we call them Baby Boomers, Gen X or Millenials to differentiate between them, the titles can’t describe how differently we think -- and it’s going to get more complex.
We were blessed to inherit the hopes, dreams and dedication of the Greatest Generation, but I believe as we turn to digits as our way of communicating, the art of passing along one’s generational assets is going to be more difficult than it is today. And it’s not just simple memories of “how we used to be” that suffers. We already are seeing the shredding of our social compact.
It’s perfectly fine, until it isn’t, to say anything that comes to mind on the various social media platforms. It’s OK for some to turn their asses to the camera and show the world what they got on Facebook. And it gets worse. Some don’t have the brains God gave an ant (no insult to ants) as they brag about illegal activities, even murder, on social media. The generation that looks down on such and fires those who abuse technology won’t be here forever.
We look down on the dysfunction in Washington, D.C., as if it’s some anomaly. It’s not. Our lawmakers are just reflecting the attitudes of their constituents, whether it makes good sense or not. They are not concerned about the realities of a situation. They just want to “appear” to be doing something about it -- even if it’s dumb -- and is in agreement with most of the voters in their districts.
An example; Why would 47 senators send a letter to Iran in an attempt to undercut President Obama? They did it because they know most Americans haven’t considered the consequences of not reaching a nuclear deal. Did the letter contain a counterproposal? Of course not, just threats.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, also looking for appearances in his re-election quest, can deliver a critique of the plan before Congress, but he didn’t offer another solution. He knows Israel can’t attack Iran successfully, so he wants us to do it, or threaten to do it, for him. What does that mean? It means putting our military personnel and our resources at risk. Are we ready to go to war again? We have already experienced the folly of dropping into two countries in that region with shock and awe only to see them revert to a more unstable system after we’ve left.
My hope for future generations is that they will be more apt to actually seek to solve problems than seek appearances. That will be tough. It’s a generational curse. While technology has brought the world to the palms of our hands, I would venture to guess that 70 percent of what’s on the Internet is not to be believed. How do you filter true from false?
Even now, the Web is full of Internet hoaxes aimed at the uniformed, unintelligent and gullible. People let their ideology or their dislike of certain people cloud their judgment. They think it makes it OK for them to slander, lie and manipulate photos and play all sorts of mischievous games. And like lemmings, many of us who might be inclined to agree with the sender, forward it on without caring whether it’s true or not.
Children from elementary school to high school are so wrapped up in what someone has said about them on social media that, many times, law enforcement has to get involved. Some victims of social media assault have committed suicide. Children have always been unkind, but social media allows that meanness to go viral. They don’t yet know what should and should not be said or what is polite or not. Where will that skill come from in the future when were are already looking over the cliff?
So what can we do to stem this tide? Hopefully, we’ve come out of the education dark ages where testing was required over learning. New AP subject courses rely more on a student’s knowledge of the subject than rote memorization. It is an attempt to teach children how to think and analyze.
I want the next generations to grow into curious devourers of knowledge and be able to see through the smokescreens that surround them. I see a day when the terms of red and blue become powerless as we start demanding solutions and kick appearances to the curb.
Charles E. Richardson is The Telegraph’s editorial page editor. He can be reached at 478-744-4342 or via email at crichardson@macon.com. Tweet@crichard1020.
This story was originally published March 15, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "RICHARDSON: Solutions versus appearances ."