Occasionally I get down in the mouth when thinking about the state of the world as it currently spins. I get frustrated by all of the inequality, poverty, disease, and education problems facing us daily. Most frustrating is the apparent lack of concern by a good number of my fellow citizens and those individuals with the influence and resources to truly make a difference.

To cope, I remind myself that the most influential leaders (dinosaurs) in our government and major corporations will soon be dead and individuals from my generation, and a couple of generations before it, are going to have the reins in our hands for the very first time with the tremendous opportunity to influence and inspire the entire world. I have patiently prayed for the day to come when children of the Vietnam Era and later would have the chance to set the world’s course without the contemptuous oversight of ‘dad’ looking over our shoulder trying to make sure that we don’t screw up what it took him generations to put together.

Often, it seems like the day will never come.

I believe that our generation has been exposed to more corruption, falsehoods, “ole’ boy networks,” and out right lies than any generation before. Is this behavior more rampant today, no, however it is more exposed. Thanks to the proliferation of video devices and the World Wide Web, we now live in an era where very little goes unnoticed and unscrutinized. We, if we chose, walk with our eyes open.

Of course, the key phrase there is “if we chose.” Many, due to their family legacy, personal desire for money and power, party loyalty, and/or general ignorance, chose not to see the truth even when it is irrefutably placed before them: e.g., WMDs, our president’s ties to the Saudi ‘Royal’ family, this administration’s lack of action with regards to Katrina, the Clinton administration’s use of the Taliban in Bosnia, etc., etc…

Despite these often vocal few, I believe that most people in our generation want to make a difference. Regardless of that desire, it is sometimes easy to get discouraged, especially when it seems as though all of the chips are stacked in front of the other guy at the table, you’ve never played poker a day in your life, and he’s got 3 of those “I was able to lie and deceive better than anyone else” bracelets from winning the World Series of Poker for the past 3 years running.

Then you see someone from our generation step up and do something absolutely incredible. You see it catch on. So much so in fact that individuals from previous generations get into the act. I see all of this happening and I am hopeful, proud, and inspired. I know that it is fashionable to bash U2’s music now (c’mon, did you really expect anything to everlive up to the Joshua Tree?) but you cannot deny the fact that Bono has brought an enormous amount of positive attention to the issue of AIDS and poverty in Africa through one.org and his non-stop, relentless recruitment of any other person of influence. Angelina Jolie was so genuinely impressive in her Anderson Cooper interview that you can’t doubt her sincere commitment to the cause as well. Proof? 1/3 of her income goes to charities and she did this interview not to promote a movie release — of which she has none — but to talk almost exclusively about the plight of most Africans. Oh, and what did she and Brad do with the multi-million dollar profit they made for selling the first picture of their baby? Gave it all to charity.

Most impressive to me is the recent announcement by Bill Gates and its eventual influence on Warren Buffett. The two richest men in the world are giving away the vast majority of their wealth to make a difference. A genuine, honest difference. Bill — we’re on a first name basis — will devote the better part of the rest of his life to making the world a better place. Whether you like Microsoft, Bill Gates, or not, it’s impressive.

The best part is that I don’t think that they are doing it for fame or to be liked, but rather because their mentalities have shifted. And if their mentalities have shifted, maybe everyone’s can.

Post by Tim
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