Straight Talk: Wishes for the world 2015

The hopes and dreams of today's youth plant seeds for a better future.|

Dear Readers: From tiny acorns grow mighty oaks. The dreams of the young are the seeds of the future. It’s my honor to present these youthful voices, each one striving to make the world a better place. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to All! - Lauren

Ochatre, 25, Kampala, Uganda: My wish is an open relationship amongst the world’s inhabitants and collective responsibility in making the world a better place. It’s disheartening that countries aren’t coming together to solve global problems, that tribalism still determines who gets employed, that we are still divided by religion, skin color, economic status, and country of origin. May you and I realize we are the same - and that only through working together can we achieve our individual desires.

Gregg, 23, Houston, Texas: I wish we would allow the planet to support us instead of polluting it. I wish for terrorists to bring the battle to the battlefield instead of harming innocent civilians. I wish for my generation’s success (and thus everyone’s) via reduced college costs and a livable minimum wage.

Elle, 19, Mifflintown, Penn.: I wish young people weren’t so glued to technology. Conversational abilities and etiquette have plummeted. I grew up with minimal TV, no laptop, and no smartphone (at 16, we got flip phones). We spent tons of time outside. Life was FUN! (When our parents offered to get us a Wii, we actually said no thanks.) And we have stories. Put down your phones, everyone, and do something worth re-telling.

I also wish everyone would do their research on the terms “tolerance” and “intolerance”. (“You don’t support controversial topic A?” “You’re intolerant!”) Tolerance has come to mean that all viewpoints are equally worthy, thus, CALLING someone intolerant makes YOU intolerant! It’s a Catch-22. We should respect and value others, but this doesn’t mean we must approve of or engage in their beliefs.

Breele, 20, Los Angeles: I wish it wasn’t so hard to find a true friend. In L.A., life is very competitive, skin-deep, and more about gloating over others’ flaws than improving each other. Many girls’ esteem and entitlement is based on what a guy buys her, not his character - or her own. It’s like a sickness in the air everyone is infected with.

Colin, 21, Sacramento: First and foremost, I wish humans would stop destroying the ecosystems our survival depends on. I also wish everyone would block fast-tracking of the “Trans Pacific Partnership.” You probably haven’t heard of the TPP because it’s the secret brainchild of global corporate giants (in cooperation with government and media heads they’ve obviously bought). Thanks to WikiLeaks we know about it. They won’t even let Congress read the draft. Best website: http://350.org/the-largest-corporate-power-grab-youve-never-heard-of/. Dubbed a free-trade agreement, the TPP will make elite corporations powerful beyond comprehension. This corporate power grab will escalate environmental destruction, decimate jobs (ruining millions of lives in first and Third World countries alike), hinder food labeling, kill the free and open Internet, and give elite corporations sovereignty as if they were nations. I’ve lost faith in all our two-party candidates (Hillary Clinton helped craft the TPP). People need to rebuild their understanding of reality with books like “Confessions of an Economic Hitman.”

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