Those of you who know me personally know that I am a founding member of Generation Now, Inc. The organization has been growing steadily and is coming up on its second anniversary. Much because of the increasing exposure that our organization has enjoyed in the media, people have begun to realize that we will soon be a major player in the political landscape here in the Virgin Islands. That has generated a lot of questions about the nature of our organization. So let me try to answer a few before any misconceptions develop.
Does Gen Now! have a membership age range?
The simple answer is no. We define the "Now" generation as being at a certain stage of life, not a particular age. The range of our recruitment probably begins with those individuals who have completed their education, whether college or otherwise, and are now at a point where they are looking to launch their careers. Where they are looking to move out from home and get a home of their own. When they begin to think about starting a family. When they start worrying about taxes and other adult issues. Generation Now! starts at that point and continues until they transition to the next stage in life. That's the point where, they have already raised their families, established themselves as homeowners, and are looking forward to retirement.
Let me help you decide if you are still a part of what I consider the "Now" generation. If all your children are grown and have long since left home, then you are probably a little beyond Gen Now!. If you have already paid off your first mortgage or have long since moved beyond your first home, then you are probably a little beyond Gen Now!. If you are on the verge of retirement and find yourself saying that you have worked too hard for too long, then you are probably a little beyond Gen Now!. If you are somebody's grandpa or grandma, then you are probably a little older than Gen Now!. At that point, Generation Now! becomes a little less useful as an advocate for you.
If you forced me to quantify that stage of life by numbers then it would probably fall somewhere between the ages of 25 - 45. Twenty-five is around the age when young people first start paying attention to social and political issues and start becoming mature citizens. Forty-five is around the age when people first start thinking about life after retirement and also... worrying about becoming grandparents for the first time.
Now there are always exceptions to the rule. We have members who are younger than 25 and will probably end up with members who are older than 45. Generally, Gen Now! is an organization that exists to advocate on behalf of young Virgin Islanders. Some people object to our use of the word young as being non-political correct. But youth is a state of mind. There are some young people who act old and there are some old people who act young. If you are a younger thinking old person, we would much rather have you as a member than an older thinking young person.
Is Generation Now! a political organization?
The answer to that question depends on how you define political. Generation Now! is very much concerned about the manner in which our government operates. If that makes us political then the answer is yes. The fact is, you cannot effectively deal with the social issues that confronts our generation without making changes through the political system. Yet we remain a nonpartisan organization with no loyalty to any political party or politicians.
Yes, we did endorse the gubernatorial candidacy of John DeJongh in the 2002 elections. We felt that of the 8 declared candidates, he was most likely to move an agenda favorable to our organization. This is no different than the Planned Parenthood Federation of America endorsing John Kerry for president because of his pro-choice views on abortion. Or the National Rifle Association endorsing George Bush for president because of his stance against gun control laws. Its no different than the various labor unions that publicly endorsed the candidacy of Howard Dean. These organizations will all speak at the Democratic and Republican Conventions on behalf of their candidates. Their support of politicians who support the views of their organization does not detract from the missions of their organizations and does not automatically make them political organizations. Likewise, our mission remains the creation of a network of young Virgin Islanders who are well educated on the issues affecting their community. And when we find a candidate for office who we feel refects our viewpoints and agenda, we may very well support their candidacy. If that makes us political, then so be it.
