One morning, I woke up angry and dismayed. Partially because I was having a nightmare about this ghost in my kitchen who somehow was related to Rocco DiSpirito and my high school drama teacher. (It was like Rocco’s Dinner Party meets some paranormal show meets Glee–scary.) However, what really got my goat was the subject of an e-mail sent to me by the New York Times at 4:17 AM: “Today’s Headlines: Stocks Suffer Sharpest Drop Since 2008.”
Beka Breitzer, Founder of We the Blog
Immediately, my mind went back to election night 2008. It was my first year of college. A few weeks prior to that night, I sat in the pillow room of my college’s library (I go to a liberal arts school where such things exist), and proudly filled out my absentee ballot while humming “Hail to the Chief.” It was my first time voting and like many people my age, I was thrilled to be participating in such an exciting election.
Remember that time? How exciting it was to be part of something new? I was eleven years old when September 11th happened. Thirteen when the younger Bush invaded Iraq. Fourteen when the Abu Ghraib prison scandal began to make headlines. Fifteen when Katrina struck. Every year of my preteen and teen years–a time already tainted by angst–I found reason to lose faith in my country.
My sentiment changed dramatically during the summer of 2008. I saw something that my parents spoke of but I never really understood until it was there in front of me: young people caring about politics. I have always envied my parents’ generation–the Baby Boomers–for being vanguards of the counterculture, civil rights and anti-war movements. Now, I saw a glimmer for hope for my generation as we came together to speak up, fight for our candidates, believed in each other, and attempted to make a difference. Friends from all ends of the spectrum seemed to come together and say “it is time for our generation to speak up.” We watched the debates, we participated in our own discussions, we traveled around the country to support our candidates, and then on November 4th, 2008, we voted. It was our moment in history and it seemed we were on the brink of something that even the baby boomers never imagined. We were not to be ignored but rather celebrated.
Well, what happened to our dream deferred?
The purpose of this site is not to advance a certain party’s political agenda over another. Rather, the purpose is to find a common ground and voice within our generation–Generation Y, the Millennials, You, Me, US– and have that voice be heard. This site is all about making change instead of waiting for it to be delivered. While it is a place for an exchange of political ideas and discussion of issues, We the Blog’s goal is to take the “talk” a step further. Our guest blogs work to stimulate discussion. Our news items strive to reflect the issues you care about and want to follow. Our events are YOUR events–posted by you, planned by you, made possible by you. Actions and other forms of demonstration–whether in person, on the phone, or online–are made with you rather than for you as a way of making our voice heard. Soon, there will be social networking capabilities and forums directly on the site to keep the conversation and ideas going live 24/7. While these features are the platform of the site, the rest is up to you.
Start a revolution outside your head. Express yourself. Act. Be a force to be reckoned with. Make them listen to what you have to say. Join the Millennial Movement.
In fellowship,
Rebekah (Beka) Breitzer
Founder of We The Blog
Click here to learn more about what you can do.
