Thank you for this. I’m a ball state graduate and didn’t know Wallace has spoken there. But I’m not surprised. The things he says are things some people in Indiana really like, even 62 years later. In fact, they may like them even more.
No one should be surprised by Tuesday’s election results there. I wasn’t.
I was in junior high school when George Wallace first ran for president. I remember being so disappointed in my dad for saying something to the effect of “That guy makes a lot of sense.” I’m kind of glad that I never had to find out what he’d think of 45/47.
On another note, it’s easy to forget (now that I’m no longer teaching) just how devoid of context young adults can be, unless they are fortunate enough to have a teacher like Cotlar. Recently, I was talking to a much younger friend about women supporting misogyny (specifically, 45/47’s women supporters), and I mentioned how rightwing politics has always been closely aligned with racism, antisemitism, misogyny and red-baiting. “Remember, Phyllis Schlafly cut her teeth organizing for the John Birch Society.”
Yes, young people haven’t lived that long. Yes, they don’t always have context. But it is so nice to be taken seriously! I think, especially in the world of rampant internet hatred, it is getting harder and harder for young people (myself included) to see a bright side or a bright future for us. It’s not to say that older people haven’t, I just think that the internet makes hatred far more accessible. Don’t blame young people for feeling hopeless, please, most of us know far more hatred than love in this world. And that’s really sad.
This is a really fine essay, that earns its insights by listening deeply. It sounds like the students rose to the author's challenge of making sense of their experiences and beliefs.
But there's a lazy, thoughtless, offhand comment in the middle of it, that exemplifies the groupthink -- or rather, group NONthink -- that the students are up against.
Israel is waging a genocidal assault on Palestinians?
It's just taken for granted, like the sun rising in the east, or two plus two being four?
Only one side is in the wrong?
Such thoughtless intellectual wallpaper is simply Jew-hate normalized. It's "stupid," as the students call it. This miasma is the reason Ava is dehumanized online, and Jews around the world are threatened by actual violence.
I expected better of people who call themselves journalists. You're part of the problem.
Further proof that the young are just that--young. Also, lacking any sense of personal history, not to be trusted when making really important political decisions.
The young seem to see right through the bullshit and are judging correctly, unless you see world powers coming together to fix all of the issues we face as humans, there is no future. They’re not wrong, you’re just old and comfortable. They’ve never known a comfortable life, and we’re certainly not headed toward a comfortable future. Are you blind?
Perhaps that is what makes us important to political decisions - these decisions impact our future. We are creating our personal history. We want a better future than our present.
Really excellent, Leah
Thank you for this. I’m a ball state graduate and didn’t know Wallace has spoken there. But I’m not surprised. The things he says are things some people in Indiana really like, even 62 years later. In fact, they may like them even more.
No one should be surprised by Tuesday’s election results there. I wasn’t.
I was in junior high school when George Wallace first ran for president. I remember being so disappointed in my dad for saying something to the effect of “That guy makes a lot of sense.” I’m kind of glad that I never had to find out what he’d think of 45/47.
On another note, it’s easy to forget (now that I’m no longer teaching) just how devoid of context young adults can be, unless they are fortunate enough to have a teacher like Cotlar. Recently, I was talking to a much younger friend about women supporting misogyny (specifically, 45/47’s women supporters), and I mentioned how rightwing politics has always been closely aligned with racism, antisemitism, misogyny and red-baiting. “Remember, Phyllis Schlafly cut her teeth organizing for the John Birch Society.”
She said, “Who’s Phyllis Schlafly?”
Dawg, I’m old.
Only emphasizes the importance of historical education!
Great title. Channeling Edith Wharton. May you too win a Pulitzer.
Yes, young people haven’t lived that long. Yes, they don’t always have context. But it is so nice to be taken seriously! I think, especially in the world of rampant internet hatred, it is getting harder and harder for young people (myself included) to see a bright side or a bright future for us. It’s not to say that older people haven’t, I just think that the internet makes hatred far more accessible. Don’t blame young people for feeling hopeless, please, most of us know far more hatred than love in this world. And that’s really sad.
This is a really fine essay, that earns its insights by listening deeply. It sounds like the students rose to the author's challenge of making sense of their experiences and beliefs.
But there's a lazy, thoughtless, offhand comment in the middle of it, that exemplifies the groupthink -- or rather, group NONthink -- that the students are up against.
Israel is waging a genocidal assault on Palestinians?
It's just taken for granted, like the sun rising in the east, or two plus two being four?
Only one side is in the wrong?
Such thoughtless intellectual wallpaper is simply Jew-hate normalized. It's "stupid," as the students call it. This miasma is the reason Ava is dehumanized online, and Jews around the world are threatened by actual violence.
I expected better of people who call themselves journalists. You're part of the problem.
Further proof that the young are just that--young. Also, lacking any sense of personal history, not to be trusted when making really important political decisions.
The young seem to see right through the bullshit and are judging correctly, unless you see world powers coming together to fix all of the issues we face as humans, there is no future. They’re not wrong, you’re just old and comfortable. They’ve never known a comfortable life, and we’re certainly not headed toward a comfortable future. Are you blind?
Perhaps that is what makes us important to political decisions - these decisions impact our future. We are creating our personal history. We want a better future than our present.