She wasn't talking about Superman, or parents. What she was getting at was if I, and my generation, have a hero that we collectively look to.
The answer was simply, "No". I thought, and thought and as a whole, collective generation there is no single individual that we could agree upon being a true hero.
Our parents' and grandparents' generations were built upon the breaking of barriers in society, nature, and science. With these accomplishments come a slew of names and faces seared into our memories that represent individual efforts in breaking these barriers.
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| Martin Luther King, Jr. |
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| President Franklin D. Roosevelt |
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| General Chuck Yeager |
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| Rosa Parks |
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| President John F. Kennedy |
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| Jackie Robinson |
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| Oprah Winfrey |
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| Steve Jobs |
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| Mother Teresa |
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| Gandhi |
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| Babe Ruth |
Each and every one of these people were cultural icons and heroes of their times, more than one of them influencing my generation as we grew up. Yet none of these my generation can For our parents and grandparents these were the people who went where no body else dared to go in areas of social rights, scientific advancement, and conquering of nature. These names and many more like them are responsible for the world we live in now; a world in which so many great feats have been accomplished leaving no inch of these world, and many places beyond undiscovered.
Is our lack of a generational hero(es) because of the fact that there are simply fewer boundaries for us to break? What major accomplishments/feats are there for us to overcome? What individual do we have to accomplish those things?
A lot of older folks ask these questions with a prideful and smug look on their face because they think they have achieved so much that no other generation could hope to match them. So great was their generation that we could never hope to have people likened to those above...
While I must agree their accomplishments are incredibly impressive, and worth a lifetime of respect, I must disagree. I disagree with their belief that we cannot create a better more refined world than the one we were given. Again I disagree with the idea that our generation does not have the potential to match those above. I would however go as far as to say we don't want to. One of the best characteristics of my generation is the fact that we would rather accomplish these things as a whole rather than individually.
It is not a lack of capability on the individual person, but rather a paradigm shift in thinking. It is my opinion, that my generation more than any before, have this awareness of being citizens of the world rather than a citizen of Spokane or Denver or New York City.. With that awareness we find responsibility not only for those within our cities and nations but those around the world who are more similar to ourselves than we would first think. It is here we begin to see cause for a lack of generational/societal heroes.
We, as a generation, have no problem with the lack of a cultural hero. What we do have issue with is the lack of expectation for us as a whole. I beg you; do not doubt our capabilities or our capacity for change and progress. We admit that you have accomplished so much in your own way, but that by no means implies that there is nothing left for us to do in this world.
There will always be conflict and need. Unfortunately, no generation past, present, or future will ever be able to remedy that. As the up-and-coming generation however, we take it upon ourselves to get as close to that as we can.
Sincerely,
The Hero-less Generation
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Below are a few fundamental questions that have been raised my adults in regards to our generation and lack of societal heroes and my responses.
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Is our lack of generational hero(es) because of the fact that there are simply fewer boundaries for us to break? What major accomplishments/feats are there for us to overcome?
Absolutely not! While I cannot deny the fact that members of our parents and grandparents generations have achieved a plethora of admirable accomplishments, I can confidently say that they have left so many barriers for us to break.
- Gay Rights
- World Hunger
- Global Conflict
- Domestic Poverty
- Welfare/Social Security Issues
- Global Human Rights Issues
- Education and Healthcare Reform
- Homeless Populations/Care
It does not matter whether we look on a global scale or right in our own backyards, there is no shortage of boundaries to break.
What individual do we have to accomplish these things?
Again, one of my favorite generational characteristics is our emphasis on "we" rather than "I". Human nature prevents us from being totally selfless, and I am by no means calling the previous generations selfish. But, more than any others before us we are less focused on what "I" can accomplish for myself and more eager to see what "we" can accomplish for "everyone".
Whether it be the environmental movement trying to bring awareness that our planet is being ravaged by pollution and poor conservationist practices or the collective awareness to try and bring basic human needs to those around the world without our generation is realizing that we are the world, and everything in the world will somehow affect us at home. I love talking to people my age and hearing stories of people going to Uganda and India to do work with the struggling abroad or those who have traveled to Detroit or New Orleans to help those struck by devastation here at home.
The mentality surrounding the idea of community service is quickly changing from something we had to do to graduate high school to a civic (both domestic and international) duty that is ours to fulfill. Building on that even is our belief that it is not an individuals' duty but that of the entire national and global community.
You ask us what individual could possibly match the likes of Martin Luther King or JFK? We admit that there might not be anyone among us capable of doing so, but together we can attain so much more.
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