Lack of Education...

[xteriormotive]

I am a 23 year old college student in Boston, and I find myself growing quite tiresome of the lack of education amongst my age group. A vast majority of students across the country have chosen to take part in protesting this potential war with Iraq, yet do they have the education to do so? Hell no.

While I was attending a college in Pennsylvania, I approached a group of anti-war protestors. While engaging in discussion with them, not ONE could give me a single YES or NO answer to the questions I posed to them. It was all "but this..." "but that..." types of responses. They are spoonfed crap from the media and the lack of education in politics in our education system. Even a lot of Political Science majors (which I am not) are not educated enough to carry on a real conversation with someone in the real world. That is JUST the problem. College does not prepare ANYONE for the real world...you have to take that decision into your own hands.

Many my age, would not even be able to point out where Iraq is on a map, let alone tell me the reasons PRO or CON for launching an outright war against their regime. Even worse, they could not tell me why exactly they were protesting, and what it WAS they were protesting. While I am sure there is a large group of people who DO protest with a cause and a reason, I have a funny feeling the vast majority have no damn clue what is going on, or why.

I will never understand how people can protest something, which they know absolutely nothing about. I applaud anyone who can protest a cause, and can back up their views and opinions with REAL concrete information. What I see going on today is the youth being brainwashed by the liberal media who choose to feed the public with as much unrealistic information as they humanly can. It is sickening.

Every chance I get, I engage in debate about this issue with people my age or even older. I could debate the topic of war to the ground with just about anyone, and I take great pride in the fact that I have educated myself to do so. Feeling strongly about a topic is one thing, but educating yourself is another step in making people realize the cause you are behind, has some kind of validity to it.

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This is my first post here, and I apologize for the rant...but I am getting sick and tired people my age protesting something just to protest; doing the cool thing. It is one of the most frustrating aspects of being lumped into this age group, but I know I am an educated individual who stands behind the correct cause.

/End Rant.

Thank You Sean

[netmilsmom]

Dear Sean,
You have hit maturity at a very early age. I am proud of you. Remember what they say...
If you are 20 and not a liberal, you have no heart.
If you are 40 and not a conservative, you have no soul.

I think you have smartened up early.

[dirtboy]

It is one of the most frustrating aspects of being lumped into this age group, but I know I am an educated individual who stands behind the correct cause.

Don't worry, just look at all those poorly-educated idiots, and envision them as your competition for a good job when you graduate, and smile to yourself. I had some loudmouth heckle me at an anti-Clinton protest at the University of Denver, and I told him "be nice, son, I might be reviewing your resume in a few months" - and even the pro-Clinton students got a good laugh at his expense. He shut up after that one...

[old school]

There's hope for the Youth of this Country yet.

[BrooklynGOP]

...yet do they have the education to do so?

Actually, the "education" they have is exactly what enables them to "do so".

[thucydides]

Your comments remind us what has become of education in our country. Instead of being taught to think, most young people are simply preconditioned to react emotionally. In this case, the formula is "war - people get hurt - bad." Part of the problem is the elevation of the idea of self-esteem. Instead of feeling good about themselves regardless of a lack of knowledge, students should be taught to feel bad if they spout off when ignorant. Somehow you seem to have come through the process with your good sense intact, for which you can be thankful.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Last summer during one of Nashville's many anti-tax protests, some college age pinheads started to drive their beat up, rusty, 15 year old, shoe box around with signs showing their support for an income tax. On the first round, I yelled that if the pro-taxers have their way, that is the kind of car that teh GOVERNMNENT would buy for everyone. He only made two passes under my heckling.

Another, pro-tax pinhead called us GREEDY for daring to want to keep our own money. I bet him $100 that my 1040 would show more charitable giving in both raw dollars and percentage than his. He wouldn't take the bet. I also bet that I paid more in taxes than he earned. Again no bet.

[harpseal]

There are a couple of points I would bring out from your article.

While I am sure there is a large group of people who DO protest with a cause and a reason,..Why are you sure of this? I ask this question merely to question your being sure of a fact which you yourself have been unable to verify and actually is counter to your experience.

I will never understand how people can protest something, which they know absolutely nothing about.

It feeds their sense of being important and more intelligent than others.

I applaud anyone who can protest a cause, and can back up their views and opinions with REAL concrete information.

Based upon the statements of the "leaders of this protest over the weekend even the leaders of this so called peace movement are unable to back up their case with facts and logic.

[harpseal]

By the way please do not consider anything I posted to you to be in any derogatory. I am very happy that you have the maturity and sense to realize that there are serious matters at stake here. I was merely pointing out that perhaps you are overly generous to those who have as their motivation the destruction of personal liberty

[Tijeras_Slim]

It is one of the most frustrating aspects of being lumped into this age group

Every generation has it's share of butt-heads. Look at the "baby boomers", the liberal wing of whom regards itself as the generation that "discovered" everything, but has apparently learned nothing. These tired old 60's re-treads are just using college students the way they were used.

F-'em, let them die stupid.

[Servant of the Nine]

A vast majority of students across the country have chosen to take part in protesting this potential war with Iraq, ....

There were less than 100,000 protesters nationwide. May I suggest an introductory course in statistics. Or was it extreme hyperbole? At any rate you need to be more careful in your writing when you are denigrating large numbers of people, even stinking scumbag liberals.

So9

[happygrl]

A good rant.

All evidence that you do not engage in "group think."

I predict a great future for you.

[banjo joe]

I find myself growing quite tiresome of the lack of education

The grammar here is self-incriminating.

[Marauder]

My daughter told me that she finally bought a vehicle she likes (Dodge Durango), and now she's dismayed by ads saying that she's "supporting terrorism" by driving it.
I told her that the people spouting that garbage are liberals, complaining not about supporting terrorism, but her choice of a "status symbol" instead of something economical, like a Yugo. Class envy and all that; besides, who in this country are so vociferously on the side of the Palestinian terrorists? That's right - liberals.
I then ventured out into unknown territory with, "You remember how your high school teachers kept complaining about Ronald Reagan?"
She said, "Yes." (I knew it!) So I explained to her about liberals and what they are, and how their activities are hurting the country.
By the end of the phone call, she was ready to go get her license to carry a concealed weapon. That's Daddy's girl!

[ArrogantBustard]

I must have no heart. Am I the only heartless one, here?

[LiteKeeper]

read later

[Marauder]

Not so much "seethin' mad" as disgusted with their tactics and irrational BS. If you knew her, you'd know that "spoon-fed" hardly describes her.
I disagree that the left-right spectrum no longer exists; in fact, IMHO, it's as strong and strident as ever. In fact, that the left are complaining regularly (grousing) about the right-wing bias of the media is a direct result of the advent of networks like Fox News, and the larger audience for talk radio. That grousing is music to not only mine but quite a few ears across the country.
Different values? You bet: I favor the preservation of the America that we knew before the advent of the hippie generation, where people were self-determined and not "spoon-fed" by those who prefer socialism.
You want self-congratulations and autodirected back-patting, go back to DU where that kind of tripe is rampant.

[netmilsmom]

Are you 20? Then you have no heart but don't worry, you have a brain!
I had a heart at 20, now I have a soul and a brain!

[ArrogantBustard]

I'm 'way past 20. I haven't been asked ID to purchase adult beverages for more than 20 years.


I was a right-wing radical at age 20, though. I've never understood that "heart = 20yo liberal" thing. It certainly doesn't describe my life. Unless, of course, I'm heartless.