To the Next Generation

These words are my own. I write them as a card-carrying member of the millennial generation.

Coming of age during the turn of the century was both a terrifying and exhilarating experience. Like generations before me, both domestic and global events, coupled with the fallout from a constantly connected world, defined my life and the lives of my generation.

We witnessed the fall of communism and looked out at a world where the United States of America emerged as a lone superpower. Domestic terrorism and inner-city crime filled us with a fear that seemed inescapable. Scandal consumed our institutions. These scandals destroyed our trust in government, churches, and schools. “Generation Lockdown” began with us and continues to this day. 9/11 was a moment in history none of us will ever forget. American innocence seemed to be lost forever. The empire showed cracks and those forcing the collapse were coming from within and outside the country. There were glimmers of hope, but fear, xenophobia, racism, and a reintroduction to white nationalism (something that never really went away). Finally, in a moment that could have drawn us closer together, a global pandemic, far more was lost than just lives. A cultural wedge was driven between our people, which may serve as further evidence of our downfall.