The Idea Generation

When Thomas Friedman asks my generation for our idealism, activism, and outrage, I ask: What about our ideas?

If we gave Mr. Friedman what he wanted, we could produce a mass movement fueled by passion, believing in the good and marching ahead with vigor. But we would have no clue where we were going.

Outrage gets people out of bed so they come to the table demanding answers. Passion is vital, because once you start demanding answers, you find yourself deflated by the blank looks and empty promises. And it’s our heads, not our bodies, which will make the difference.

We are the Idea Generation. That quiet you hear is the sound of people thinking. We could shout demands for our leaders to produce solutions, but since they haven’t yet, we’ve gone ahead and started doing it ourselves. Because we have no political debts, no cemented allegiances to party or platform, and no problem with sharing information, we have unlimited freedom to innovate and create.

We can solve the most baffling problems because we actually think it can be done. That kind of fire is what Mr. Friedman wants, but what he doesn’t realize is the true value of our methods. The relatively quiet click of keys sounds the path of lightning-speed, real-time debates happening around the country among thousands of people. Our brand of rapid response doesn’t just create a happening - it posts evidence of the problems and solutions for them with a transparency all should appreciate.

So if we are quiet, it’s because we aren’t trying to shout people down; we engage them in real dialogue. If we are quiet, it’s because we fight to win, not just to fight. If we are quiet, the world should join us and listen for a change to the testimony of all the things that need to be heard.