We can debate how successful we were in our efforts to change society: some wins (end of Vietnam War) and some losses (I count civil rights as a loss because it turns out you simply can’t legislate morality).
© 2025 Carol Cassara. All rights reserved. All content on the site is subject to intellectual property rights, contractual or other protection. The intellectual property rights are owned by Carol A. Cassara. No content may be copied, distributed, republished, uploaded, posted or transmitted in any way except with Carol A. Cassara’s express written consent. Permission is granted to send content via email for personal, non-commercial use as long as credit and a link to this website are given. Modification or use of the materials for any other purpose or in any other manner may violate intellectual property rights.
Website Design by BlueTower Technical Inc.
100 per cent correct. Apathy is the result of fear…apathy is a terrible feeling. Do what you are able to do to get away from it…care! Care deeply!! Fix it, do it, become the person you want to be
“the result of fear.” Hadn’t thought about that, but will, Donna.
I think I have cynicism because many of these things should’ve been done. Here is gone by with all the political promises and everything else and where did all that money go kind of attitude I have.
There have always been political promises–that’s the way this system has always worked. Some are lies and some just can’t be made to happen due to…whatever. The system we have is what we have to work with and if we want change, then we must work toward that change. If we don’t like who’s in office then we work for a candidate who will do things differently. If we want certain bills passed then we must take action. If we want change then we must be the change we want in the world, wasn’t it Gandhi who said that? We can’t expect something to happen if we do not make effort toward. My big frustration now is gun violence. I write electeds, i host online fundraises, I give money. Is it effective? Not yet. But I know it never will be if people do not act. Ok, stepping off the soaopbox now.
Very much agree, but this younger generation have seen gunmen in their schools and no grown-ups in government who are willing to help. Tragic as these occurrences are, they’ve created a generation of activists and that can only help.
I hope they are acting. I hope these people are a minority representation.
I don’t see my children as apathetic bystanders, in fact, they are more involved in politics and social justice than I even knew I could be. I bet for every cluster of apathetics we can identify in a generation, we can also find a cluster of activists. One thing I think all activists share is that frustration that you feel: Is it effective? But we have to keep trying.
Not surprising, given what I know about you. I agree, we can’t stop trying.
I sense hopelessness in that commenter’s attitude. I don’t like the expression “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” but this is what the up and coming generation is going to have to do. I think enough of the young are waiting for someone else to do something about “it” (“it” being our world’s problems) and that’s not the way the world works. Each generation is charged with improving the world they inherited. Nothing new about that and no generation gets a pass on that chore.
That’s my take, too.
I can’t be quiet as I watch what is happening in the world right now. It is breaking my heart. Especially for my children.
I feel you, Lauren.
What do you mean “turns out you simply can’t legislate morality”? Strikes me like the GOP ain’t havin’ no trouble! They appear to be obsessed with controlling our sex lives among other things. Maybe you could say they’re not completely succeeding but they’re trying like hell. I agree with you otherwise, but that line jumped out at me.
They definitely are trying,you’re right. But you simply can’t pass a law and expect everyone to have that morality. We saw this with civil rights. We really did believe it would make a difference, that if we changed the behavior the attitudes would change. And I think it was effective to some extent. But the rebound is drastic. I think there are many reasons for the rebound but those reasons do not make it any more palatable. But that’s a rabbit hole for another day and I’m not sure some of the things I observe are all that politically correct. In this world it doesn’t matter where your heart and brain are, you just have to spit out the party line. Another rabbit hole, Bobi–see what you did ? LOL
Yup…I think too many young folks have grown up under the influence of negative broadcasting on media such as Fox News. I have wondered how exposure at a young age to the nastiness, vitriol, and negativity of the past couple of decades influences their generation. Throw in trauma like school shootings and it is no surprise so many have tuned out, a defensive mechanism.
They have no idea what “news” really is, only hype.
I think a lot of young people are engaged. As far as the planet being “trashed,” corporations have a lot of money and power in the political system. Citizen involvement needs to be strong to fight it. That’s the way it always has been and it will continue to be. Citizens must fight for this country’s present and future. Capitalism was set up to give business leaders the power to run things. We see every day how that system results in our world.
I can’t disagree. The system is so corrupt.
I’ve got high hopes for Gen Z. They did grow up as a generation of students most affected by school shootings and they are trying to do something about it. From David Hogg starting a PAC focused on electing younger people to Maxwell Frost who is the first member of Gen Z elected to the House from (of all states) Florida. He was a political activist first and is also on the Advisory Board for Hogg’s PAC.
I like your positivity.