Recently, one of my friends turned 18. While we weretalking excitedly about all the privileges she could now enjoy, I brought up theissue of voting and asked if she had registered. She replied, "Nah, I'm notreally into politics. I'm not that patriotic, either." My jaw dropped.Appalled, I tried to convince her that if she was not voting for the country or apolitical party she should at least do it for herself. She refused to listen andat the end of my tirade said, "I just really don't care." Those wordscut through my heart, and it was then I realized that I was the exception, notthe rule. Few my age care about anything but themselves. Her attitude convincedme that the Achilles' heel of my generation will not be laziness, ignorance orhate, but apathy.

How terrible it is to know your generation's demise willcome because it simply does not care. Apathy is a dreaded and fatal disease. Itdoesn't matter where you stand on issues, as long as you stand somewhere. I amsurrounded by 18-year-olds who stare blankly when I bring up religious andpolitical issues designed to ignite passion. Passion is what makes us human, andgreat. The founding fathers, as well as Susan B. Anthony and Martin Luther King,Jr. were so passionate about their causes that they were dismissed as radicals,but they persisted because they truly cared. Our generation has a great deal ofpotential, but it is slowly being eaten away. Unless the very bright and capableawake from their apathetic sleep, I fear for the future. As the saying goes, theworst thing that can happen is for good people to stand by and do nothing.