Is Ignorance Really Bliss?

Why is it that my generation consumes so much media, but has such a minimal grasp on what is going on in the world?

Why is it that missing the latest "Desperate Housewives" show is worthy of cardiac arrest, but when I ask people if they have been following the situation in Iran 90% give me a perplexed look and shake their heads.

I wish that the youth in my country could temporarily be transplanted to a country where they have no freedom, where they are told what they can or can't do, wear, or say and where nearly everyone, or at least someone close to them, has suffered unjustly at the hands of government officials. Perhaps then the blinders would be removed and the mall, movies, Frapaccinos and he said/she said gossip would no longer seem like such life and death issues after they had been presented, first hand, with real, life-threatening situations.

My peers have so much potential for good, so much access to educational opportunities and books and so many opportunities to make a difference; so many liberties and opportunities are available to us, and yet we don't appreciate or take advantage of them. Is it because we have never had to fight for our liberty that we take it for granted? Or are we just so uneducated that we have no knowledge of history and no comprehension of the dear price with which freedom is purchased and no understanding of how swiftly and slyly it can be stolen from us and how painful are the consequences of such ignorance and laziness.

I wish that for 10 weeks the youth in America could transplant to Iran and gain an appreciation for what we have here and come back ready to fight to protect it and to fight for the freedom of others.

Maybe part of the problem is that the troubling scenes we view on our TV screens seem so numerous and overwhelming and our estimation and knowledge of what we can do to help is so meager, that it is just easier to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear and continue on in our blissful little worlds.

But is ignorance really bliss? At what cost do we maintain an attitude of lethargic apathy? I think the words of Randy Stonehill from his song, "Who Will Save the Children," are fitting:

"As we observe them through our T.V. screens,
They seem so distant and unreal,
But they bleed like we bleed
And they feel what we feel...

Now we decide that nothing can change,
And throw up our hands in numb despair,
But we lose a piece of our souls,
By teaching ourselves just how not to care."

I do not mean to sound harsh or patronizing; I am lecturing myself with this post. I think that oftentimes people WANT to help, but they just don't understand the issues or how they can become involved. The purpose of this blog is to spread the word about issues that demand our attention and opportunities in which we can become involved and make a difference.