I just finished watching the last episode of the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, and here were his closing words, which can be seen here (approx 3:20):
All I ask of you is one thing, particularly of young people: please do not be cynical. I hate cynicism -- for the record, it's my least favorite quality and it doesn't lead anywhere.
Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen. I'm telling you, amazing things will happen!"
Now I am not going to lie, it has been a bad week for progressives and to a larger extent, everyone. First Scott Brown wins Massachusetts' special election out of no where, Healthcare reform looks like it is about to die after how close we got to making the system better, even if incrementally, Haiti is still in ruins, and the Supreme Court has essentially sold out the average citizen to the highest bidder.
Add it all up, and we can fall into a pretty cynical view of the problems that plague us today. The ones we worked so hard to elect in 2006 and 2008 are seemingly turning their backs on us.
But guess what, I'm not ready to give up Hope, I'm willing to fight for Change, and if its a fight they want, then its a fight they get. Just because we have been kicked down, and looks like we are down for the count, doesn't mean that we are. We have to fight now, more than ever to change things, to pass this healthcare, to support rep. Grayson in curbing corporate power.
If we throw in the towel, its over, goodbye America we once knew. These are trying times, everyone thinks we are out, 2010 is around the corner, and everything we worked so hard to do will come up short.
No. I refuse to accept this.
I challenge all of you, every single Kossack who reads these words to try harder, and do better, and be optimistic about our future.
Because what Conan said tonight is as true as ever, cynicism doesn't lead us anywhere, what it does do is create more problems. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. We may not get what we thought what we were going to get, but that doesn't mean we can't make the best of the situation.
Just look at what we have done in one year, we still have three more to go. Don't give up hope, because tomorrow is another day, and we can still change things for the better, if only you believe, if only you work really hard and if only you are kind, amazing things will happen...
I am ready and willing to fight for what I believe in, are you?