Bye-bye Miss American Pie

I recently read a column from one of my favorite journalists, David Brooks of The New York Times. I find his views always well reasoned and exquisitely written, even if I don't always agree with his conclusions. The article entitled, “The goal: lose yourself,” was one of those times I didn't agree with Brooks' conclusion.

His article was based on observations drawn from recent commencement speeches given around the country to this year's college grads as they venture out into the world.

As a former associate professor I always enjoyed commencement; the energy of optimism, the idealism of yet unconquered souls.

This year I was particularly reflective because my oldest niece, a vibrant young woman, graduated from Boston University.

In his article Brooks questions the, ''litany of expressive individualism, which is still the dominate note in American culture." He writes, "this talk is of no help to the central business of adulthood, finding serious things to tie yourself down to."

Maybe my niece's generation knows something that Brooks' and my generation doesn't - that in the America of today with its intrusive dysfunctional government, all powerful heartless multinational corporations, and the unabashed marketing of greed and materialism there are few worthwhile serious things to be tied to. No institution that deserves their loyalty or commitment.

Brooks argues that, “graduates are also told to pursue happiness and joy. But, of course, when you read a biography of someone you admire, it's rarely the things that made them happy that compel your admiration," later he concludes, "It's excellence, not happiness, that we admire most."

Brooks observation of our culture's worship of excellence over happiness is right on target and incredibly sad. We have come to demand excellence over the destruction of self because excellence drives the stock market, increases the margin between the uber- rich and the rest of us growing poor, and lines the pockets of our government officials. Our demand for excellence and exceptionalism has led to a psychology of hate, aggression, violence, and fear - all driven by a corporate bottom line.

Let's take stock of the exceptional blessings we have passed on to this graduating class. We have been involved in two wars for over a decade and have joined a third unconstitutional war in oil rich Libya, yet less than one percent of the population has been asked to shoulder war's burden. Today more Americans are in prison, more than 2.5 million, than anytime in our history, a good time to have stock in Correctional Industries Inc., the business of suffering is booming. The land of the free has more prisoners per capita than any other nation in the world. Our fellow top five most incarcerating countries include Russia, Iran, and China - good company for an exceptional country. On top of these examples of excellence, throw our languishing educational system, lowest in the developed west.

With the legacy of greed, debt, corruption, war, suffering, and hate that we have passed on to my niece's generation maybe instead of pushing them to cold excellence for the benefit of corporate and government coffers, we should encourage compassion, love, and forgiveness for the benefit of human kind. If we are not ready for this change maybe it is time to recommend immigration to our talented youth. Maybe they can find peace and meaning in countries that value happiness over corporate greed or the extension of military power. We no longer seem to be the country of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

The same week Brooks published his article four other headlines caught my attention. First, the House passed a $42.3 billion budget for homeland security. Next, the federal government cut $500 million from educational funding. Thirdly, it was estimated that the national prison budget will again exceed $60 billion this year.

The last headline was about five citizens, one an Iraq war vet, that were arrested for dancing at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial on Memorial Day. The five were dancing quietly without music. The war vet, Adam Kokesh, was dancing arm in arm with his girlfriend, Medea Benjamin in a chamber inscribed with the words, "Nothing is more certainly written in the book of fate than these people are to be free."

When the five were arrested, handcuffed, and put on the floor, Kokesh asked, "Why can't I dance with my girlfriend?" I guess in Brooks' American culture of expressive individualism it is illegal for a vet who offered his life at the alter of freedom to dance for love and compassion in the chamber of liberty.

My advice to my niece and her fellow graduates...dance, just dance.