The Idle "Y" Generation

The Idle “Y” Generation
By Charles A. Hall, “Tony”

Friday, 16 October 2009

Let’s go through the generations since The Greatest Generation.

The Greatest Generation (World War II Era) – These were young men (and women) that stood up against pure evil. Yes, evil, and answered the call to defend their country, their liberty, their families, and the cause of freedom. They stormed the beaches at Normandy, France. They fight in the cold of winter at The Battle of the Bulge. They fought through to Berlin, Germany and into Austria. They were truly The Greatest Generation. They sacrificed so that we could enjoy freedom and liberty.

The Baby Boomers (late 1940s to early-mid 1960s) – These is where the author’s parents hail from (though they claim to be Generation X). These are the off-spring to The Greatest Generation, the generation born with a literal “silver spoon” in their mouths. The days of “Leave It to Beaver” and “Happy Days” where there were nice middle-class houses with white picket fences but then came the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Some of these Baby Boomers answered the call of their country yet again but as we see through the 1960s there seems to have been more whining, complaining, and moaning. Lost was the sense of patriotic duty to country (at least in the opinion of the author’s take on history).

Generation X (early-to-mid 1960s to late 1970s) – The “Baby Bust” Generation where the population increase rate dropped. These started off somewhere in the early-to-mid 1960s. They lived mostly through the Cold War and still (in the opinion of the author) were a bunch of misfits always whiny, complaining, and moaning about the government. Some have even called it “The Doom Generation” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_X).

Generation Y (mid-to-late 1970s to early 1990s) – Enter the author’s generation! This generation is also known as “The Milleniums”, “The Echo Boomers”, Generation Next, or Net Generation. “Members of Generation Y are primarily the offspring of the Baby Boomers” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Y).

Now we have an overview of generations spanning the better part of the second half of the 20th Century. But this article/blog (whichever you wish to call it) is not focusing on The Greatest Generation, The Baby Boomers, or Generation X but is focusing on the author’s own generation: Generation Y!

Some have called Generation Y as “Generation ‘WHY? Why have them?”. Well, the point of this article isn’t about answering that question because the author doesn’t have an answer to that question. The point of this article is to look at the latest generation that is now all of age to be active members of political society in the United States of America.

(Switching from third person to first person talk now.)

My wife often makes fun of me that I’m “too” political, I spend too much time online talking and reading politics. Well, I disagree with her on this. I believe that members of my generation, Generation Y, need to be active in the political realm. Why? Because what is going on right now in Washington, D.C. and State Capitols will effect us for the REST of our lives. The youngest member of my generation is around 18 to 20 years old of age. They are individuals that can now vote in Presidential, Congressional, State and local elections. But do they? Well, let’s look at some numbers.

In the 2008 Elections there were about 231.2 million eligible voters in the United States and only 56.8% (132.6 million) of eligible voters turned out to the polls to vote (http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0781453.html). That is 109.5 million voters that didn’t cast their vote and let their votes be heard.

There are over 60 million born in the Y Generation. According a 20 July 2009 release from the United States Census Bureau only about 49% of voters between the ages of 18 to 24 voted (http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/voting/013995.html). Now I’m not a math major and there could be “finer” points but for the sake of argument we are going to cut use the following number dates and numbers:

Generation Y
Dates: 1979 to 1994 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Y#Demographics)
Age Range (2008): 14 to 29
Eligible Voters: 44 million

How did I get the rough number of eligible voters? Again, I’m not a math guru but I used the following formula:

60 million / 15 years = 4 million * 11 years (18 to 29 years of age) = 44 million voters

Generation Y – Ages 18 to 24
Dates: 1984 to 1990
Eligible Voters: 24 million

I got the above numbers using the same formula as above.

Out of 24 million only 11.76 million (49%) voted. That is 11.76 people that didn’t have their voices heard! Not even half did have their voice heard through the Ballot Box! Something is wrong with that…

Did you know that there was only a spread of 8.5 million votes between Barack Hussein Obama (D) and John McCain (R) in the 2008 election?

Obama – 66.8 million votes (53%)
McCain – 58.3 million votes (46%)
(http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/president/)

Now one could argue that those 11.76 million people that didn’t vote could have made it even a bigger win for Senator Obama or it could have swung the election to Senator McCain. Then we look at the Electoral College and States and everything else! We won’t go into all the factors but what I’m getting at it that too many individuals, especially from my own generation, aren’t being involved in the political society of the United States.

Movements like “Turn Out The Vote” and other political action committees/groups work hard to get individuals out to vote. I believe that voting is the most patriotic duty one can do (other than laying down one’s life for their country) in the United States of America.

What is the point of this article? The point I’m trying to make is that individuals in my generation, and every other generation, need to get involved. They need to not stand idly by and not do anything. So what can you do?

1) Register to vote and keep your voting registration current (like if you move).
2) Vote in local, state, and national elections when the time comes.
3) Sign up for e-mail alerts from your elected representatives (yes, they say something intelligent every now and then).
4) Join /sign up for memberships/e-mail alerts from organizations that fit your political ideals (there are plenty out there).
5) Write your elected representatives and tell them what you think about issues and tell them, not encourage, how they are to vote and not the way their party would have them vote. Even if you are a member of one party and have an elected representative from another doesn’t mean you should be silent. Continue to speak up and be heard.
6) Encourage others around you to do the same.

I have a friend that doesn’t vote. He doesn’t understand why it is so important. I watched part of a PBS presentation the other day on the Constitution of the United States. One of the ladies they interview brought up this point of why you should vote:

1) Do you own or plan to own a car?
2) Do you know you are going to have to register that car?
3) Do you know you are going to have to get a license?

Those are all “yes” answers. She said, “Those are three reasons why you should vote.” Her point was that your elected representatives effect your car registration payment, requirements to get your license, etc. That is just something very basic people don’t think about, she said, and she is right.

Make sure you vote, make sure you stay informed, make sure you have your voice heard. Now is the time to get involved more then ever in the history of the United States. “One voice can and will make a difference.”

###