2008 Woodie Awards
Examining a decade of change, and looking ahead
Jessica Anderson
Issue date: 3/4/08 Section: Editorial
I remember 9/11 as if it were yesterday. While I followed the aftermath of the attacks on the East Coast, I remember seeing walls of buildings covered with pictures of people. Lost loved ones, many of whom would never be found, smiled down at the grief-stricken citizens of New York and into the lenses of cable news cameras. I didn't cry when the towers fell, but I cried when I saw those walls of smiling people. Just a few days later, the word "war" began to creep into every newscast, into every conversation. I was only a freshman in high school when it dawned on me-my generation is going to war. It had seemed so textbook; war as something you study about in history class, but not something that I was going to experience. Soon, there was a new portion of the nightly news-smiling faces of soldiers who wouldn't be returning from the War on Terror. This was no longer textbook material. I knew these smiling faces.
A few months ago, I had a conversation with several of my professors about growing up under the reign of the Bush administration. I must admit, it was something I'd never really thought about before. Now, I see history repeating itself. I am seeing things that, long ago, I'd thought only happened it the past, only in textbooks. Although the War in Iraq no longer dominates national media, it still plays heavily on our lives, especially the lives of my peers and me. It is our generation fighting this war, as it is our generation speaking out against this war. Our generation will pay for the atrocious spending habits of the Bush Administration and the astronomically priced War on Terror.
Yet, it is also our generation who has been giving an extraordinary opportunity. As voters, we now have a true opportunity to bring change to our country.
Since the beginning of the primary season, it has been clear that there is not any single front-runner for the 2008 presidency. Mudslinging-practically unavoidable in modern day politics-has not overwhelmed this primary season as it did in years past. Instead, we've been given a healthy selection of diverse candidates, who, despite their diversity, all seem to have "change" as a recurring theme in their platforms. Despite your opinion of what needs to change, I think it is clear to the majority of Americans that something needs to change, and it needs to happen now.
A decade ago, the majority of Americans had never heard of Osama bin Laden, nor could anyone imagine what was to come just a few short years ahead. Americans were situated in the midst of an economic boom, gas was an easy $1.15 per gallon, and the idea of war in the Middle East seemed unlikely. Life has certainly changed, but as adults, we now have a say in what changes will occur in the future. If the ridiculously long primary season has already grated on your nerves, know that you're not alone. However, take the time and stay in tune with the primaries and the general election that will follow-history has a nasty habit of repeating itself, and one can only imagine where our nation will be in ten years. One person cannot end the War in Iraq, cannot put a stop to the soaring national debt-but one generation can change the course of this country, and it's our turn to do so.
A few months ago, I had a conversation with several of my professors about growing up under the reign of the Bush administration. I must admit, it was something I'd never really thought about before. Now, I see history repeating itself. I am seeing things that, long ago, I'd thought only happened it the past, only in textbooks. Although the War in Iraq no longer dominates national media, it still plays heavily on our lives, especially the lives of my peers and me. It is our generation fighting this war, as it is our generation speaking out against this war. Our generation will pay for the atrocious spending habits of the Bush Administration and the astronomically priced War on Terror.
Yet, it is also our generation who has been giving an extraordinary opportunity. As voters, we now have a true opportunity to bring change to our country.
Since the beginning of the primary season, it has been clear that there is not any single front-runner for the 2008 presidency. Mudslinging-practically unavoidable in modern day politics-has not overwhelmed this primary season as it did in years past. Instead, we've been given a healthy selection of diverse candidates, who, despite their diversity, all seem to have "change" as a recurring theme in their platforms. Despite your opinion of what needs to change, I think it is clear to the majority of Americans that something needs to change, and it needs to happen now.
A decade ago, the majority of Americans had never heard of Osama bin Laden, nor could anyone imagine what was to come just a few short years ahead. Americans were situated in the midst of an economic boom, gas was an easy $1.15 per gallon, and the idea of war in the Middle East seemed unlikely. Life has certainly changed, but as adults, we now have a say in what changes will occur in the future. If the ridiculously long primary season has already grated on your nerves, know that you're not alone. However, take the time and stay in tune with the primaries and the general election that will follow-history has a nasty habit of repeating itself, and one can only imagine where our nation will be in ten years. One person cannot end the War in Iraq, cannot put a stop to the soaring national debt-but one generation can change the course of this country, and it's our turn to do so.
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