My generation, which once proudly took its concerns to the streets, now merely shouts at the evening news. We have evolved into citizens in whom outrage and complacency can comfortably co-exist. For our generation, the collision of conscience and convenience barely generates a ripple in our lives.
And yet, there are many issues today that should inspire our outrage:
Once again, America is a nation at war for reasons that are murky at best. Ours was the generation that shouted, “Hell, no, we won’t go!” Our chant is hopelessly out of date. We are not going to go to this war. And, for the most part, our children aren’t going, either. The children of the middle class are statistically not the ones who will come home from this war in body bags, so we can safely deplore the war from our living rooms rather than in the streets. We can express our discontent in an e-mail.
Boy, that will sure show the politicians.
Illegal immigration strikes many of our citizens as a topic worthy of protest. “They” are using our hospitals, our schools. Paying no taxes while taking jobs from tax-paying Coloradans. But why march when one can call talk radio and just rant? Talk is so much more time-efficient.
And even if we were talking about a solution to illegal immigration, I want to make sure we aren’t talking about Rosa, the children’s nanny. The kids just love her. And I wouldn’t think of trying to deport José. He takes such great care of the house and the lawn. Remember that blizzard years ago? Well, his crew cut down and removed the broken tree in my backyard at one-third the price the tree-trimming company wanted. Of course, I paid them in cash. After all, José has a family to support.
I just wouldn’t feel right protesting José’s family being here. And it’s really hard to figure out a good solution to something so complicated. Anyway, I’m sure our elected leaders will come up with a thoughtful, compassionate solution.
How about those high energy costs? Gasoline prices are soaring, heating bills are outrageous. I wonder how many families shiver through the cold winter nights because they must choose between food and fuel. It is time to step up and demand alternative fuels and more efficient cars. And yet, while oil profits are obscene, I do have a chunk of Exxon stock in my retirement account. So I guess there is a silver lining in the ugly brown cloud – at least for me. And that’s really what matters, isn’t it? Me.
But if we are going to stage a march in favor of a sane energy policy, we should do it near a really big parking lot, because we are going to need a lot of room to park our giant SUVs.
Wal-Marts and Home Depots and other big box stores have large parking lots. We can park there for our protest, and at the same time picket them for putting neighborhood stores out of business. We could even save ourselves a trip – and gasoline! – by buying the stuff we need for our home-improvement projects. Those big-box stores have a great selection at low prices. Mom-and-pop stores are a little less convenient and a little more expensive, so while we’ll miss them, we’ve got to conserve our limited family resources.
Can’t we all get behind changes in the Interstate 70 corridor to the mountains? Ridiculous traffic every weekend. It is time to create a mass transit alternative. Here’s a plan: We stage a mass protest and get all the Front Range skiers to boycott the ski areas. The ski areas will go nuts and push the legislature to solve the highway mess. (Personally, I am glad we didn’t plan the boycott for this winter, since we had a 70-inch base and new powder weekly, which my family and I enjoyed immensely. Boycotting during a good snow season is a bit wacky. Let’s wait for the next drought, when it won’t hurt so much.)
We could at least cry out against the phenomenal waste inherent in second homes in the mountains, vacation homes that hardly ever get used. The good thing about this protest is that I can organize it from my second home in the mountains – the one I get to by driving up I-70 every weekend. In my giant SUV.
So we are not going to protest the war, or take sides on the issue of illegal immigration, or challenge our nation’s energy policies, or boycott the big-box retailers or challenge practically any of the critical issues of our times.
Are we hypocrites? Heavens, no.
What we are is co-opted.
Larry Pozner (lpozner@litigationcolorado.com) is a trial lawyer handling criminal defense and business litigation cases at Reilly Pozner & Connelly LLP.
