Wednesday, April 8, 2009

rants of a decrepit youth

It may be senile-sounding to say this but honestly, I am starting to lose my optimism.

 

Although I acknowledge the fact that some students still excel in school, others stay away from vices and look after their sick folks at home instead of partying till dawn, the “apathetic feel” is quite alarming even so.

 

Gone were the days when the youth were, in words and in action, the hope of the nation. In this day and age, making good use of your right to democracy by mustering on the streets and fighting for your principle is so 1960-ish. And worse, kids who call themselves activists, those who do something about the situation and not letting others do it for them are dispersed, kissed-off as drug addicts, KSP, bored and are just there for the fun of it.

 

At present, watching news programs and reading the dailies are only for assignments and reports on current events. Although some do read newspapers, most head directly to the entertainment section wanting to know who is dating whom and thus missing the front page which, of course, is the real big deal.

Ask an 18-year old about the Dacer-Corbito double murder case and what Senator Ping Lacson has to say about it and she will be confounded but ask her about the latest fad, about the cheapest bargains in DCLA and she will give you all the particulars including who to look for.

 

The problem lies not in our being “party people” but in our disability to form opinions and stand by it to the core. The blame lies not entirely in us, however. Since as far as history is concerned, this generation has been spoon-fed, well provided and spoiled, we have grown to become the brats of the society. If we were lucky enough to have undergone World War II, have lived through Martial Law and have witnessed a fair share of brutality instead of just hearing news about the Coup de état attempts and political scandals, we could’ve been, in its truest sense, the real hope of this nation.

 

No one in this generation is not dreaming of being successful. But, with a number of investors moving away leaving the country indebted, this has become too big a dream to achieve and most often, this dream requires one to board a plane and be away from the family or settle for a high-paying job requiring only a false English accent. A college graduate who once dreamt of becoming a teacher is compelled to fly to the neighboring countries and accept domestic jobs that pay more than the meager amount the country is giving to teachers.

 

Being a Filipino youth is slowly becoming an impediment because the nation is not doing anything to help us. How can we be the hope of this land if it does not elicit hope for us to hold unto?

 

This generation I am blabbing about (which of course, includes me) will become doctors, nurses, lawyers, media practitioners, and citizens of the future. What have we to lead a country as thriving as the Philippines?

 

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