I really envy the kids who will be graduating high school in the next few years...

[progdonkey]

I was born in October 1981, so I was barely 19 when I voted in 2000, and saw my first election stolen. 9/11 happened in the first semester of my sophomore year of college.

I lived in Germany for six months in early 2005, and even though everyone knew I was a Democrat and I vocally hated Bush, there was still this atmosphere of embarrassment that I was American. I may have been "one of the good ones," but I was still an American.

It's like my entire adult life so far has been lived with this heavy Bush/Cheney cloud over me. No matter what I did or what happened, I couldn't forget that that idiot piece of shit was president. I hated the words "freedom" and "liberty" because they had been co-opted and poisoned by that same piece of shit.

Setting aside all the very important political and criminal issues with the Bush administration, one of the worst things was just that all-encompassing sense of hopelessness and anger--you were ashamed to feel pride in America because America and Americans had done and voted for so many horrible and stupid things. And I can't count how many hours have been spent arguing with idiot right wingers who were extolling the virtues of torture and unrestrained power for Bush--hours that could've been spent doing some form of community service. In point of fact, I gave blood for the first time on Monday; before that I wouldn't have been in the mood to do so, since what would be the point of serving a community that elected George W. Bush?

Regardless of whatever Obama does or doesn't do, I think the best thing about his being president is that I can actually feel happy and proud of America. I'd say "again," but that's unfortunately the whole point--I'm not old enough to have ever had the chance to be proud previously, and I'm too old to be able to completely enjoy being newly released upon a world where being an American results in a smile instead of a sneer.

I believe someone once said, "To understand a man, learn what was happening in the world when he was twenty." So, you high schoolers, remember how fortunate you are that the most formative years of your adult life will be spent in a world defined by Barack Obama, instead of one defined by Bush, Cheney, and Gitmo. :patriot:

[FrankieFunk]

1. I hear ya

I was born in 79 and most of my adult life has been under the Bush regime. I'm just so glad its over.

[SharonRB]

2. Oh, goodie

Nixon was elected the year I turned 20.

[drmeow]

3. In my first presidential election

I voted against Reagan. I've had 18/26 adult years of Reagan or Bush. If I hadn't already been radical by the time I was 18, that would have radicalized me.

[ThomWV]

4. I do not.

There is good enough reason to believe that a child born today may be among the last generation of men to inhabit the earth.

[customerserviceguy]

6. While I find that overly pessimistic

I still think that it might be good to be able to stay in high school for a few years before having to find a job or hustle for an education!

[Joe the Liberal]

5. Born in 89 here.........

And I'm happy to say my first vote ever was for Obama. :patriot:

[pnwmom]

7. Don't. They've been living under the same cloud that you've been under, only

they've been that much younger and less emotionally able to deal with it.

My high school son was 8 when 9/11 occurred. For months he built tall block towers (with the blocks he'd abandoned years before), then knocked them down. Anyone who had a child that age knows that they were very much affected by the same shock that hit all the adults -- they just couldn't express their feelings with words.

Ever since then, my son and all his friends have been watching the fiasco that is Iraq, and worrying about another war in Iran, and a possible draft. When they're not worrying about global warming putting an end to life as we know it. And they have hated Bush, Cheney, and Gitmo every bit as much as you have.

Don't envy those kids. And don't tell them how fortunate they are. That is, unless you want to insult them. They know that the world they're looking at is a giant mess.

[EFerrari]

8. Wow, is that shortsighted. The next ten years will be much better than the last 12.

These kids are fortunate to be going out into the world where Republican vampires aren't in power, unlike my kids.

There will be no comparison.

[pnwmom]

9. I have children in both age groups and I don't think one is more fortunate

than the other. Each of them will be living in a world that is teetering on the brink from global warming and subject to increasing risks of massive terror attacks. And we've all been living under the same cloud for the past eight years.

What you call "short-sighted" is the only life my teen has known.

[EFerrari]

10. But your teen didn't post to this thread. n/t

[pnwmom]

11. So? I know him well enough to be able to say that he's been living under the

same cloud that we all have for the last eight years -- from his earliest years as a reader, aware of the world around him. Since early in elementary school, he and his friends have had to absorb and to cope with an increasingly frightening world.

I think they've actually had it worse than their older siblings, because their personalities and views of the world were being formed during a much darker time than the Clinton years.

[Lawyer From Dallas]

12. Good point!

Agreed.

[pnwmom]

13. Welcome to DU, Lawyer from Dallas! n/t

[tabbycat31]

14. I hear ya

I was born in March of 1980 and could have written most of your post.

I was the only one of my friends who voted in 2000 and the reason I chose my candidate was STUPID (he shares a birthday with me..... hey at least I don't share a birthday with George Bush). It was not considered "cool" to vote, and it was made fun of.

I am SO glad that tide has turned.

[Belial]

15. Yep and they will be footing the bill for our screwups.. sigh

[deaniac21]

16. Your wisdom is immense for one so young.

[Bandito]

17. Thankfully

I got vote for Bill once. How disappointing would it be to vote and not get anything for it all these last few elections.