For the better part of three months, I have lambasted President Bush and his lackeys, criticized conservative positions, and demanded more proactive policy proposals from respected political leaders. The time for pointing the finger of blame inward has arrived. While many of society’s ills do directly result from action or inaction by national political and industrial leaders, the modern American citizen remains politically disaffected. American college students bear the majority of this blame as we represent the next generation of leaders who are at once too na’ve to realize the impossibility of our dreams yet, at the same time, old enough to pursue them.

Liberals in particular need to assume responsibility for the dominance of political disaffection. In comparing the current dearth of activism on campuses to the protests following the Kent State shootings during the Vietnam War, Andrew Rosenthal notes, “…it’s hard to imagine anyone on today’s campuses willing to face armed troops. Is there anything they care about that much?”

Yes, during the 1960s and 1970s students faced the threat of the government drafting them into Southeast Asia to fight a pointless war. Should that matter, though, considering our brothers and sisters currently fight an even more pointless and corrupt war? Where is our youthful exuberance now when American college-age kids are dying for less valid reasons than in Vietnam? Do we need to wait until 58,000 of our brethren die for this war before we accept the consequences of ditching class or not going out to voice our protest? As Mr. Rosenthal notes, the anti-war movement forced a largely progressive president from office in the 1960s yet we recently re-elected a regressive and corrupt administration. Whose fault is that?

Liberals complain about persistent racism and governmental corruption, yet the majority of our population stays ambivalent. We fail to understand that not every important cause needs to personally affect us. Activists dedicate their lives to ideals, yet the majority of society remains silent and uninterested, more concerned with turning the daily bread into a feast than making sure everyone has table scraps for supper.

Conservatives argue that one of America’s greatest strengths, as the resilient economy demonstrates, is the “can-do” attitude; that our resourceful, hard-working populace will surmount any challenge and solve any problem. While correct, when the challenges include overcoming racism, reigning in cronyism, and bringing home twentysomethings – who joined the military to protect the country, not to support an administration’s personal agenda – we throw our hands up and blame politicians.

We need to show society how our politicians’ bad leadership will negatively affect the average person and why voicing opinions is worth the time. Several years ago when the war in Iraq was fresh and only a scant percentage opposed it, students on campus demanded that the Administration bring the military home. Now that the war is unpopular and by most analyses unwinnable, there are no voices and even fewer protests. Whose fault is that?

I think back to Mr. Rosenthal’s question of values. About what do I care enough to risk losing a grade, money, time, friends, or possibly my life? Respectively, I would make the aforementioned sacrifices for volleyball, a good time, my friends and family, and integrity. When it comes to placing my life on the line, I can sit here and say whatever I want, but my answer is only words until I match the commitment those fighting in Iraq have made. Voicing my opinion is conspicuously absent from my list – what cost would I pay to be heard?

As college students, we can discover how much everything matters to us. Youth affords us time to make mistakes, lose and still recover. Since most of us do not have to support spouses or children, we can take the risks necessary to change the country and the world, and all we need is the courage.

Apparently, our soldiers abroad are using all the national courage since nobody at home will speak out and fight for them.