The Youth - America's Conscience

Yahoo News recently reported that Illinois' state legislature has "voted to sell off about $1 billion worth of investments in companies doing business with Sudan, part of a nationwide campaign to protest genocide in the African nation." It will become the first state to take such action, hopefully to be followed by the remaining balance of the fifty. The legislature's vote follows closely on the heels of Harvard University's decision to divest from Petro China which has major dealings with the Sudanese government that has at best tacitely endorsed a genocide against black Africans in its nation. The university's decision has undoubtly given divestment significant clout and momentum as Harvard is often a leader by virtue of the fact that when it finally does act the nation takes note and follows in turn.

Harvard's divestment announcement came after an engaged movement led by Harvard seniors to withhold the traditional senior class gift which the class collects and donates at the end of the year. The university uses the class gift to show alumns how satisfied current students are with the school which in turn spurs on alumni giving.

The student campaign was led by, among others Matt Mahan and Brandon Terry, two young men whom I consider close friends and whom I hold in the highest regard. They are energetic, passionate, intelligent, and have an understanding of the social responsibility that comes along with the priveledge of attending a university like Harvard. Their efforts serve as an important example and reminder of the critical role that young Americans play in our society. Too often the outcries of the young are trivialized and discounted as naive and lacking in experience and therefore understanding. In reality, the youth of America have over the past fifty years in many cases been the conscience of the nation. Paradoxically, though, we encourage young people to dream and to achieve great things, but when it comes time to give them a seat or to listen to them we are reticent and disregard their insights.

Matt Mahan and Brandon Terry are examples of how young people can move powerful institutions and even possibly the nation. The Harvard class of 2005 is around 1,600 students in total. Even if we assumed 100% participation in the divestment movement (which there was not), that would mean that 1,600 young people moved Harvard which is now rippling through state legislatures across the country. Isn't that incredible? How wonderful it is that a passionate few can move so many for the cause of humanity at its most fundamental level.