About whether young people should be “silent unless spoken to”: this is not the 19th century. Furthermore, we are not living under Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin or under Chinese rule yet: to express disagreement with this administration”s policies is not high treason, in spite of what some who appear to wish for an American dictatorship believe.
This administration has had the lowest approval rating for some time, as demonstrated last November. If running for office again today (if it was legal), Bush and Cheney would be sent packing with America”s giant footprint on their backsides.
Freedom of speech is not “allowed” according to age, gender or whether what is said is pleasing to our would be masters; it is a right, not a privilege.
Young people need not “prove themselves” in order to speak. The future belongs to them, and they need to take hold of it and decide whether they approve of the mess we leave behind for them to clean up, such as: environmental rape and pollution, an unprecedented national debt, climate change, a civil war in Iraq, corruption, globalism and corporate gangsterism, and the stage set for the abuse of executive powers.
If more bright and idealistic young people took a stand rather than escape, give up or believe the lies of the older generations, these things might no longer be allowed to happen, and the world might be a better place.
Raphael Montoliu
Lakeport
