a time to speak up, page-7

Ronsterm,

Each person has their own ideas of where the roots of the problems lie. You mention the lulling effect of peace and prosperity. My father communicated to me something of the challenges of his childhood during the great depression, and the years of world war 2 were near enough to me to seem real. However, by the time my children heard about these shattering events from me, they were ancient history, and besides, my experiences of it were second-hand, so the impact of authenticity and immediacy on my children was lost. To this day they have less consciousness of the potential harshness of life than my father had. They don't seem very aware that any rights that human beings have are only there because someone has fought desperately to gain them, and then to hold them.

It's sad to think that they may have to learn these lessons all over again, the hard way. They seem more trusting than older generations, and evil people are always ready and willing to take advantage of such innocence.

Maybe it's because younger generations have not been taught vigilance that politicians, banksters and corporate villains can lie and cheat and pillage not suffer for it.

One day, though, the coming generation may realise at last what has been done to them, and take matters into their own hands.

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