I was born in 1963, so I am barely a boomer. Watching this video makes me want to be a Millenial. I teach them, and I am raising one. They make me feel good, these diverse, smart, tolerant, savvy, youngsters who now have to clean up the mess left them.
This video probably scares some folks; all the ethnic faces and progressiveness. But they don't scare me one little bit; they give me hope that the world they are inheriting will be better cared for once they are in charge.
Maybe we boomers did one thing right: we gave these kids each other. We put them in integrated schools. We taught that racism was bad. We taught them war was bad. They don't think about these things the way we do. They don't know how to be racist because they live the diversity. In order for these kids to know intolerance, it must be taught to them. Of course they won't believe it, because they know--truly know from experience--that people are people, to be judged on their merits, not skin or anything else superficial. As well, our example, which was not a good one, was a lesson, and they learned it.
I teach my students and my son that we each have a responsibility to each other and our planet. I know they agree; the lessons are embraced and easily understood. The lessons are embraced because they are obvious to these kids, these saviors of our selfishness.
It's a brave, new world.
Obama is a couple years older than me. He is barely a boomer. I can't wait for inauguration day!
(VOTE!!!!!!!)