-
- The 'Beat Generation' was beaten before the current one
was born. It drowned in its own blood in the Fall of '69, among the twilight
comforts of a stiff drink and the quiet seclusion afforded by a mother's
arms.
-
- The 'Love Generation' loved life, loved love, left love,
and left the Left behind. From levitating the Pentagon and raising social
awareness to innocently singing and chanting its way into the faceless
boardrooms of America. Trading its Woodstock for corporate stock. Selling
its peace of mind for a piece of the profit.
-
- The 'Blank Generation' snarled, "No future!"
as a whole, following through individually by overdosing or reluctantly
settling into the nine-to-five routine, complete with generic spouse and
twenty-year mortgage. For 'Generation X', alienation became a fashion statement.
Dressing in black. Wearing peace symbols crafted into earrings, necklaces,
and other accessories. Saying "anarchy" enough times to effectively
turn the philosophy into just another meaningless pop culture buzzword.
Pretending the word "alternative" in alternative music wasn't
just a shorter way to say, "another preprogrammed Top-40 format."
Never taking up the slack, thinking those before them had already done
so.
-
- Now comes the latest generation, alphabetically dubbed
'Y' by grammatically challenged media-types. But neither 'Y' nor mere echoes
of those who went 'boom' before them - and here's why not. Actions speak
louder than words - or letters - so it is only fitting that the youth of
today be called the "Numb Generation". Viewing the world by remote,
forgetting somebody else put the batteries in the remote control. Doing
deeds as seen on TV, just to know "what it feels like". Whether
it be stealing a candy bar from the local store or shooting down a classmate
in cold blood. Ironically, then feeling nothing - neither the high of excitement
nor the lows of depression or remorse. Dressing in a cross-cultural mix
of oversized clothes, aesthetically turning the old phrase, "It's
no longer a black or white world" on its ear. They're tuning out,
logging in, dropping dead. Theirs is a self-medicated generation. Theirs
is a government regulated generation. Theirs is an over-stimulated generation.
Theirs is a computer simulated generation. Theirs is a numb generation
whose rallying cry is, "I don't care!"
-
- _____
-
- REPRINT
-
- 'Millennium Children' And Their 'End Times' Counterparts
-
- By Peter Petrisko (ptp@primenet.com)
-
- Within the last decade or so, a growing number of children
have been born that appear to be more intuitive and more creative than
older generations were at that age, take to computers like a fish takes
to water, have a natural understanding of technology in general that can
border on the uncanny and, in some cases, may be natural healers. An understanding
of the spiritual beyond their years and a matter-of-fact attitude toward
the paranormal are often attributed to these youngsters.
-
- These bright and gifted youngsters were dubbed "Millennium
Children" in the book of the same name by Caryl Dennis and Parker
Whitman, published in 1998.
-
- However, as with many things, there is the other side
of the same coin, a yin to the extraordinary yang of these "Millennium
Children", not yet discussed in books or New Age circles.
-
- These others are the "End-Times Children",
living amongst us, just as their inspiring counterparts do, and also making
their presence known in extraordinary ways. In towns like Pearl, Mississippi;
Jonesboro, Arkansas; Springfield, Oregon; and perhaps most notably, in
Colorado's Columbine High School.
-
- Whereas "Millennium Children" represent humankind's
best, its hope at the turn of the century, the "End-Times Children"
are the embodiment of our fears, our uncertainties, as we face both a spiritual
and historical turning point. Two parts of a larger "Numb Generation".
-
- As with their millennial counterparts, "End-timers"
are, for the most part, quite intelligent and creative. They, too, have
a natural understanding of technology. But it's the technology of destruction
- such as bombs, firearms or other weapons - that interests them. Or an
uncanny ability to manipulate, and destroy, technology - like in the case
of a gifted hacker who breaks into official files, wantonly wreaking havoc.
They appear to lack the intuitive compassion of their opposites, instead
focusing inward, their feelings short-circuited or merely keep tightly
underwraps until the day it bursts forth in an unstoppable rage. After
which, they become numb once again, stoic, blankfaced, and unable to explain
- and perhaps even comprehend - why they did what they did.
-
- While some are quick to blame the usual boogeymen - TV
violence, sports, lack of parental discipline or involvement - these alleged
"triggers" seemingly have to be shoehorned in when it comes to
many of these, and less extreme, cases.
-
- In many cases, it is revealed the parents were fair and
supportive. That sports and TV weren't big interests. The usual suspects
don't ring true.
-
- Perhaps because they are no more than superficial flotsam,
obscuring the truth.
-
- If a schism has occurred, that is spiritual in nature
and may even be evolutionary in scope, giving us the enlightened "Millennium
Children", it goes without saying that quite the opposite could just
as easily occur.
-
- And, if a cosmic balance is to remain, the opposite must
be true.
-
- Both once removed from the older generations, both not
easily understood nor accepted. One, natural healers - whether it be on
a spiritual or, in some cases, physical level. The other, bringing emotional
or spiritual pain to those they touch and, in some cases, being natural
killers.
-
- These are the two paths to our future.
-
- These are our children.
-
- (REPRINTED 12/29/99, first published in Spring '98 in
"Earth-Changes Weekly")
-
- _____
-
- CDC REPORTS MULTIPLE VICTIM SCHOOL VIOLENCE RISING
-
- Data released by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta on Wednesday, one day after 15 people were
killed by gunmen at a school in Denver, show that the number of violent
events at US schools involving multiple victims appears to have increased
between 1995 and 1998.
-
- "During the past three school years, August 1995
through June 1998, there were an average of five multiple victim events
per year. This is compared to an average of one multiple victim event per
year in the three years from August 1992 through July 1995," according
to a CDC statement.
-
- But it is premature to label any one factor as responsible
for the rise in multiple victim homicides at schools, Dr. Rodney Hammond
of the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control told Reuters
Health.
-
- "I would be hesitant to name any one factor, because
although many have been suggested in the general public discourse, I'm
afraid if we don't take the time to look at this very carefully and closely
compare it to others we have seen over the last three years, we could make
the mistake of oversimplifying this issue," Hammond said. (Reuters,
Apr. 21 1999)
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