Why

I CARE. I care about this country. So here is the story: I was taking a class during the month of inauguration. The class consisted of three people me, my professor, and one other student. The last day of class was Inauguration Day, and my professor had certain opinions about our generation, which throughout the course of the class she had not been shy about making them known. Her feeling towards our generation and our involvement in anything substantial were less than complementary and sometimes almost insulting.

The last straw came on the final day of class, or Inauguration Day. She proceeded to create a final assignment at the last minute, and that assignment was to stay several hours after class had finished and watch the inauguration ceremonies with her and several other professors. Mind you this class had nothing to do with politics, it was actually a painting class. The assignment probably would not have bothered me so much, I mean I was planning on watching it anyway, but it was how she went about it. Already knowing her opinions about my generation and knowing full well that it was not at all a positive; set me off enough, but then to try and force me to be involved… that just did it. I had to say something. Now being that she was my professor I could not say all I wanted to say, but I could not in good conscience let this go with out saying anything.

I told her that it was a ridiculous assignment and that she couldn’t make us stay those extra hours after the class had ended for an event that had nothing to do with the content of the course. Then she proceeded to personally attack me and the other student spilling all her negative feelings about our generation as if her delusions were our own personal philosophies. She then decided to tell me how I was feeling. Now I don’t know about any of you, but personally I think I know how I feel better than someone else does. She told me that I didn’t care about the inauguration and that she couldn’t believe that we would react to her in such a manner.

Oh... And that’s where I lost it. I probably should have just left, because at that point she dropped the assignment (out of disgust with us), but I am not the person to just back down. She was attacking me now, not just some nameless face in my generation. It was me. It was personal now. Right then and there it call clicked for me. I am this generation. Anytime she was bashing my generation she was talking about me. She continued to lecture me about how importance this day and that I was wasting it by not fulfilling the said assignment and staying to watch the inauguration with her and the other professors on campus. I knew what an important day it was, not only to our country, but to the world. I knew this was a big deal. I had every intention of participating in the events of this colossal day. But why should I be forced to it her way? To be attacked for questioning why? To be told that I don’t care because I had different opinion than hers? NO! That’s not ok!

The argument continued and heated a bit but then ended with no resolve. She was convinced that our generation was a waste and that this moment was simply wasted on us. Almost as if we didn’t deserve to be apart of it, a part of this country when it mattered the most. I was heated to say the least, and that was it for me. I left feeling so angry, but not with her. I wasn’t angry that she felt the way she did. I was angry that we let her gather so much ammunition. I was angry that she was so easily able to overlook everyone in my generation that does care. That all she cared about was an out dated stereotype. That’s not my generation. That’s not who we are. I am not a number. I may only be one person, but I care a lot about the direction my country is going in and I have to believe that I am not the only one. I know I am not the only one. We have been over looked for far too long and I for one am done with it! DONE!

So there it is. This was my story this was what called me to action. Now it’s your turn. Why do you care? What do you care about? What makes you vote? Why does it matter? Do you have a story like mine? Now is the time to get the word out there that we do care. Our generation does care. So lets do it. Lets prove them wrong. You in?