Most adults likely have already experienced the unfortunate circumstances of a large family shift occasioned by an elder patriarch or matriarch passing. In a surprising number of instances, they were the glue that held the un-bondable together and after that, the family went down the drain. It isn’t always the case, but it’s all too frequent and yet, in the demographic big picture, it’s a reality. Whether you believe history is circular, repeating itself at intervals, or whether it’s linear, suddenly presenting us with never before seem challenges, we’re nevertheless confronted with a growing reality; the elder generation, by chance or effort, presented us with a certain level of stability, and now that they’re going and almost gone, the new dominant elder generation are seemingly missing in action. They, admittedly, my generation, are struggling to fill the shoes left behind.
I make these observations on two different levels, first cultural and second, in the context of conservatism. On a cultural level, much is changing at a dizzying pace. Demographically, family sizes are shrinking across the board. Within 30-50 years, some credible researchers state that we’ll experience the beginning of an irreversible slide in population. But much more immediate, on the ground, there is a striking change in energy in the many communities that are already well below the replacement rate of 2.1 births per couple.
You see it at every level of community life from closed stores and malls, shrinking churches that have all but cancelled Sunday schools, diminished summer camps and youth programs. On top of all of that, the young increasingly are aggregating around cultures and practices that accelerate entry into a faux adulthood centered around pleasure, deviant identity, perpetual entertainment, imaginary cyber existence, and old-fashioned dissipation.
These are not transient states of adolescence but rather entry into permanent nihilistic countercultures that eschew responsibility and procreation – and even any sense of personal achievement and knowledge. While no generation is irredeemable, among some Millennials and even more among those in Gen Z and Gen Y, embracing a contributory adulthood is now an exception rather than a rule. This is reflected in the young’s attitude toward the land of opportunity. For example, only 36% respondents of a poll, aged 18-24, said they were proud to be American. A lot of kids have quit before they even get out of the gate. They’ve judged their opportunities as a failed before they they’ve even tried to engage the world around them. My intent is to not bash the kids here. This is absolutely reflective of the guidance and strategic engagement provided my crowd, which I’ll roughly define here as 50-70 years old.
The ‘why’ for the above concerns the state of conservatism. An excellent article, ‘Culture Wars Are Long Wars,’ provides vital insight into why my generation as a whole has failed to inculcate succeeding generations sufficiently to carry on the needed tools for generational survival. Again, there are exceptions to this seeming blanket statement, but the final proof is in outcome; the measurements are right there in front of our face. Maybe it’s not that we haven’t tried but rather that our efforts went to the wrong places. Sure, we’ve had a fair share of conservative governance, even with the Trump presidency, also particularly on a state level, but why are our ‘kids’ or grandkids still rioting in the street? Why do record numbers of them say they find socialism attractive, even when we have contemporary examples (e.g., Maduro’s Venezuela, where people are scavenging for food and struggling in maggot-filled favelas)?
As the above-cited article points out, it’s wonderful if you can get a certain conservative elected, a law passed, a wrong righted, but if you/we don’t focus on the things that have a direct impact on the inner attitudes and decisions of the entire generation(s) who presently under 21, to also include the yet unborn, we have failed. We got our retirement secured, but we have failed; we have better health than our parents, but we have failed; we live in a nice retirement village; but we have failed. If we don’t do emergency triage with our work among the young, our grandchildren may suffer a substantial portion of their adult lives under socialist autocratic governance. By that time, we won’t be around to help them find the way out.
What do you do with this? While the question is worthy of multiple books, I’ll suggest just a few cues: 1) model and finish the work with your own kids and grandkids; 2) renounce the cowardice of silence and speak up often and loud to every encroachment on conservative values; 3) visibly and loudly support the parents of school age kids who are on the front lines against progressive takeover; 4) stop supporting progressive colleges by sending family members there; 5) don’t just support conservative legislation, support conservative education; 6) carefully vet organizations and candidates that you support – and don’t support deceptive grifters posing as conservatives.