“Based on the Great Legacy that We Have Inherited…”
…So reads the first paragraph of the Mobilize.org Democracy 2.0 Declaration. And on this Veterans Day, an annual federal observance since 1954, when Armistice Day was broadened to include a commemoration of all US veterans who have served in military conflicts, there is no better way to talk about the high level of civic participation and engagement that have come to define the unique position that the Millennial Generation finds itself in, than to look to our forefathers and to their heroic offerings in advance of the essential causes which strengthen our inherited democracy.
In May 2005, the World War II Memorial was dedicated in Washington as a long overdue tribute to the men and women who served in the greatest mobilization of land and sea forces, as a domestic population and homeland economy, in history. At the ceremony, NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw, whose national bestseller named this generation rightly, and simply, The Greatest, provided insight into the all-consuming national wartime effort.
“Men, women, young and old, everyone had a role. Farm boys who had never been in an airplane were soon flying new bombers with four engines. Surgical nurses were in mash units on front lines operating while they were being shelled. Teenagers were wearing sergeant stripes and fighting from North Africa to Rome. Guys from the city streets were in close quarter combat in dense jungles. Women were building ships and whatever were needed and driving trucks. Kids went without gum and new toys and in too many cases they went the rest of their lives without fathers they never knew,” he said.
Hearing again of the stories of the World War II Generation, reflective of themes which are deeply rooted in American ideals of neighbor-helping-neighbor, unity and selfless sacrifice and service to country and community over individual interests, we hear a calling as great as all others, we see what it is that we are striving again to achieve and we feel a purpose propelling us towards great action.
Our generation’s task is to preserve this inspiring microcosm of the American spirit.
Working with local organizations, schools, veterans groups and community leaders throughout the country, the Veterans History Project run through the Library of Congress, seeks to preserve the stories and thoughts of American veterans in a single national collection. The ongoing project, begun in 2000, currently has over 50,000 stories on a searchable online database, many in digitized multimedia form.
In Connecticut, an effort to document and write biographies on each veteran killed during the Vietnam War resulted in the publication of a book, “612,” representing one entry for each life lost. This research project was conducted through students inside a small town middle school, completely outside of their structured educational curriculum. Yet, through their work on the project, these students experienced firsthand the raw emotion of family members still grieving for their loved ones nearly thirty years after the conflict ended. They heard stories of bravery and sacrifice and gained a new appreciation and understanding for an era in American history in which this nation suffered through one of its most painful periods, marked by cultural division and strong sentiments regarding America’s military involvement in Vietnam. Eight years after the first idea for the project, the town dedicated a permanent memorial listing each name of the 612, the only place in the state where all of the fallen heroes are memorialized together. On Veterans Day and throughout the year, citizens throughout this country join together to remember and honor a sacrifice which extends beyond the confines of any history textbook.
As Millennials look to transition and transform demonstrated passionate concern for their country into action, through a new Administration that many believe will represent their voice over those of special interests, the 11th day of the 11th month provides appropriate moment to pause and reflect on a sacrifice that transcends personal beliefs and places America’s constitutional roots of justice, tranquility and general welfare above all others.
Through this recollection, we discover the American Democracy that Millennials have declared their commitment to act upon, for as each succeeding generation has taught us, Democracy is an unfinished project.
Showing posts with label millennial generation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label millennial generation. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Research Says, Practice Shows ---CA Politics and Millennial Voters
http://cbs5.com/local/proposition.8.poll.2.834082.html
Interesting. I would not have guessed that.
Thoughts?
Interesting. I would not have guessed that.
Thoughts?
Polling places lack resources, civil rights group says
"Polling places in six battleground states, including many with large minority populations, could be overwhelmed on Election Day because officials have not allocated enough voting stations, machines and poll workers, a study released Thursday by a civil rights group warns..."
For the rest of the article http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-10-08-racevote_N.htm
My comment
Even before the economic crisis that the United States is facing, the election process in this democracy has received too little investment and inadequate oversight and accountability. The shortage of poll workers, machines and voting stations, are a clear example of how the financial resources dedicated to democracy are not being well managed. As part of the Millennial generation, and as a supporter of the Democracy 2.0 declaration, I honestly believe that we need to increase civic currency in order to guarantee the public's support for full investment in the electoral process. When that happens we will see democratic government at the local, state and national levels that is more responsive to the economic needs of the people and protects the long-term interests of the whole economy from Wall Street to Main Street.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
The Search for the Stereotype
I do not find it hard to believe that a search far and wide for workplace Millennials ended up in the same place as many other Millennial commentaries: at a stereotype. Certainly, when you are actively searching for the stereotype, you are going to find it.
It is again unfortunate to read an article about members of the Millennial Generation that leaps to wholesale conclusions about the entire generation. It is even more unfortunate that Catherine Waxler’s September 19 commentary, “The Millennial Outlook,” once again comes from someone who is not a member of the generation, merely an outsider following what has become the “Boomer line” on Millennials. (To stay true to avoiding stereotypes, not all Boomers would agree).
A read of blog rolls is indicative of the negative impressions that some members of older generations have of the Millennial Generation in the workplace. It is not as though Millennials themselves are commenting on their own colleagues in the workplace in a negative manner. Using personal anecdotes of angry co-workers should not amount to a negative pallor being cast on entire generation.
The quantitative research does not side with the assertions made in Waxler’s article nor do other forms of qualitative research. One study, in particular, found that the Millennial Generation takes themselves quite seriously in the workplace. In the study, Millennials at Work: Myths v. Reality, 67 percent of Millennial respondents agreed that formalities in the workplace were important for career success. Millennials also do not take the jobs they have for granted: 56 percent of Millennials feel that the jobs they do have are a privilege, not a right. This mirrors, not diverges, from the attitudes that Boomers and members of the Greatest Generation have of their employment status.
Despite merely these attitudinal measures, Millennials also have a financial impetus for appreciating their work: they are in massive amounts of debt, especially those who had to take out loans to pay for their college education. Thanks in no small part to the skyrocketing cost of college tuition, predatory credit and lending practices, lack of financial education, and a consumer-driven economy that gives little regard to the importance of saving, Millennials are widely regarded as the first generation not predicted to be “better off” than their parents, and many Millennials are under constant economic stress. In a survey commissioned by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, 47% of the respondents stated that they were living one paycheck away from having to use credit cards or getting money from relatives to make ends meet. This certainly does not exude a feeling of entitlement, but rather a feeling of necessity to earn higher wages to dig themselves out of the same types of financial woes being faced by millions of Americans in our current financial crisis.
Most troubling about this piece is its ignorance of another portion of the Millennial Generation, those low-income, non-college members of the generation who are just struggling to make ends meet and find a position in our information society. As aptly declared by one Millennial blogger, lnunez123, no one focuses “any attention on the minority Generation Y kids who did not have little league classes (because our parks were dangerous) and never got a thank you or a coddle in their respective lives.”
It is important to differentiate what is a generational characteristic from what is a stage-of-life challenge. Therefore, it is important to change the language from its negative connotations to those that more accurately reflect the fervor, passion, and career growth potential of the Millennial generation. Words like “impatient” and “entitled” conjure an obviously negative spin and proliferate stereotypes, when words like “enterprising” or “passionate” may more accurately reflect what this generation is longing for—the opportunity to use their unique set of skills and talents to make a valuable contribution to society and the workforce. Their whole life, Millennials have been told “You see a problem? You want something? Then do something about it.”
In any age demographic, one could seek out people who fall into the stereotypes of that particular generation. But searching for the stereotypes ignores the reality that millions of others in the same generational cohort have completely different attitudes.
A general suggestion for future commentators: Ask a Millennial.
***Thanks to Kristen Cambell for her guidance with this piece.***
It is again unfortunate to read an article about members of the Millennial Generation that leaps to wholesale conclusions about the entire generation. It is even more unfortunate that Catherine Waxler’s September 19 commentary, “The Millennial Outlook,” once again comes from someone who is not a member of the generation, merely an outsider following what has become the “Boomer line” on Millennials. (To stay true to avoiding stereotypes, not all Boomers would agree).
A read of blog rolls is indicative of the negative impressions that some members of older generations have of the Millennial Generation in the workplace. It is not as though Millennials themselves are commenting on their own colleagues in the workplace in a negative manner. Using personal anecdotes of angry co-workers should not amount to a negative pallor being cast on entire generation.
The quantitative research does not side with the assertions made in Waxler’s article nor do other forms of qualitative research. One study, in particular, found that the Millennial Generation takes themselves quite seriously in the workplace. In the study, Millennials at Work: Myths v. Reality, 67 percent of Millennial respondents agreed that formalities in the workplace were important for career success. Millennials also do not take the jobs they have for granted: 56 percent of Millennials feel that the jobs they do have are a privilege, not a right. This mirrors, not diverges, from the attitudes that Boomers and members of the Greatest Generation have of their employment status.
Despite merely these attitudinal measures, Millennials also have a financial impetus for appreciating their work: they are in massive amounts of debt, especially those who had to take out loans to pay for their college education. Thanks in no small part to the skyrocketing cost of college tuition, predatory credit and lending practices, lack of financial education, and a consumer-driven economy that gives little regard to the importance of saving, Millennials are widely regarded as the first generation not predicted to be “better off” than their parents, and many Millennials are under constant economic stress. In a survey commissioned by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, 47% of the respondents stated that they were living one paycheck away from having to use credit cards or getting money from relatives to make ends meet. This certainly does not exude a feeling of entitlement, but rather a feeling of necessity to earn higher wages to dig themselves out of the same types of financial woes being faced by millions of Americans in our current financial crisis.
Most troubling about this piece is its ignorance of another portion of the Millennial Generation, those low-income, non-college members of the generation who are just struggling to make ends meet and find a position in our information society. As aptly declared by one Millennial blogger, lnunez123, no one focuses “any attention on the minority Generation Y kids who did not have little league classes (because our parks were dangerous) and never got a thank you or a coddle in their respective lives.”
It is important to differentiate what is a generational characteristic from what is a stage-of-life challenge. Therefore, it is important to change the language from its negative connotations to those that more accurately reflect the fervor, passion, and career growth potential of the Millennial generation. Words like “impatient” and “entitled” conjure an obviously negative spin and proliferate stereotypes, when words like “enterprising” or “passionate” may more accurately reflect what this generation is longing for—the opportunity to use their unique set of skills and talents to make a valuable contribution to society and the workforce. Their whole life, Millennials have been told “You see a problem? You want something? Then do something about it.”
In any age demographic, one could seek out people who fall into the stereotypes of that particular generation. But searching for the stereotypes ignores the reality that millions of others in the same generational cohort have completely different attitudes.
A general suggestion for future commentators: Ask a Millennial.
***Thanks to Kristen Cambell for her guidance with this piece.***
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