The Audacity of Despair: Saving a Hopeless Generation

By Michelle Horstman —— Bio and Archives September 26, 2012

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Despair: To lose or be without hope: "to despair of ever knowing". Hope: To wish for something with expectation of its fulfillment. To look forward to with confidence or expectation.

Obama's theme of “hope” was the centerpiece, both his 2008 “Hope and Change” campaign and his book, “The Audacity of Hope.” Tragically, his definition of hope has moved an entire generation into despair. Many of us remember the feeling. We were the generation living similar circumstances in 1979, with Carter's definition of hope. People all over this nation tell their stories every day of what could only be described as despair rather than anything close to hope. Just this week, we talked to a few. Out of school for two years, a young male college graduate says he has no hope for his future and wonders why he spent thousands of dollars going to college. A top student graduating with a graphic arts degree, he is at least working. Unfortunately, his position is at a low paying, hourly rate doing a job he easily could have done right out of high school. The current political and economic atmosphere has dashed his hopes for a successful future.

Another female graduate we spoke to finds herself working as a part time receptionist at an animal clinic. She has almost an hour commute each way just to keep this job. Like so many other grads, her self esteem is as low as her prospects. The student loan payments eat up much of her earnings and she has trouble visualizing having even enough income for another car, much less the career she had hoped for. A current college student is now a senior, soon to graduate. He doesn't plan to vote because he has no faith in either party. He is almost finished with school so he doesn't want to quit now, but he is seriously questioning his decision to attend college in the first place. He has said that he thinks his peers have an attitude of not caring about anything because they have lost faith in their future. What about adults who went back to school? One we heard from went back to get her doctorate while raising three toddlers at home. Graduating from one of the best Ivy League schools in the nation, she worked briefly on a research grant at a prestigious university. When the project was complete a few years ago, she found herself unemployed and has been ever since. Although our government is bringing people in to do research on visas, claiming we have no one here qualified, she is one of many who are qualified. They see that universities are hiring overseas researchers but not them. They have now lost their home as a result. Like our younger examples, she now wonders why she ever went back for her doctorate and has lost all self esteem. Small businesses have lost faith, too. A small business owner since 1998 shared with us his story of working long and hard to build his business (yes, he built it). He saw it increase each year until 2009. He has never taken a government grant or loan for the business and financed it all out of his own pocket. Since the last election it is now down to 40% of what it was and his family is struggling with their budget. Like many small businesses, he has lost a lot of hope and wonders how long he can hang on. He wonders if he will have to give up the dream he has built for almost 15 years. Many small business have long since closed their doors. Many of these people are suffering the physical effects as well, taking anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medications for the first time in their lives. What has turned into despair for so many is the result of destructive policies from this administration based on Obama's very different view of “hope.” His hope is for the global community, for other countries who have been wronged in his opinion, for revenge, for Black Liberation. His hope is accomplished by any means necessary. His hope is for a Marxist transformation to right every wrong as seen through his own eyes, despite the wishes of the people he was elected to represent. To date, Obama has been accomplishing his idea of hope by attempting to strip people of their rights and their earnings and redistribute to those he deems worthy; to destroy any ability we have of producing our own energy while encouraging it elsewhere; to take our capabilities down a few notches and bring his favored nations up; to disregard freedom of religion and replace it with his own personal version of truth and justice; by attacking States' rights and ruling by Executive Order; by manipulating nations around the world through his State Department and destroying alliances. On the flip side, real hope for America is having faith that our leaders will respect our freedom and fulfill our wishes through legislation with honesty. Hope is knowing that if we are willing to educate ourselves and work hard, we will have almost unlimited opportunity. Hope is feeling that our officials will stay true to our Constitution and preserve our rights for centuries to come. Hope is imagining a nation that will once again be a bright and shining example to the world, motivating them to change because they see a country where corruption has not destroyed dreams. Obama's brand of hope is destroying the middle class and threatens to tax the upper class into a state where they can no longer sustain all the entitlement programs he is putting into place. Unfortunately, it will also continue to destroy those who are currently reaping the benefits of the astronomical increase in dependency, through food stamps, control of all student loans, increased welfare, etc. On the surface, those recipients see it as a dream come true. Remember the happy woman who said, “Obama's gonna pay my mortgage,”? In the end, they may suffer most of all, forever in bondage to the State. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. This verse's kind of welfare is nothing like Obama's welfare. Obviously, the Bible verse here is talking about what is best for your life, not of an endless flow of benefits to assure the bondage of future generations and guarantee the continued votes of those who have never experienced the freedom that self-sufficiency brings. Thousands of Americans, the numbers increasing every day, have no hope of moving anywhere beyond the limitations of the crumbs our government is willing to throw their way. For some who have never experienced anything different, it is frightening to consider surviving without government. They are grateful and adoring of the one who promises more and more, without thought to the fact that it cannot be sustained. When everything doesn't come through, they are told that the wealthiest Americans are robbing them of what is rightfully theirs. No one suggests to them that the wealthiest Americans are not an endless resource to be bled. In other words, their manufactured hope is a sad delusion. In this election, it is imperative for Mitt Romney to reinstate hope in America and so far, a convincing presentation of that has not been made. Many Americans of all ideologies and ages are at the point of apathy, believing that no candidate is much different from another and nothing better can really be expected no matter who wins this election. Who can blame them? They are flooded with deceptions from main stream media outlets and popular culture. We have seen crony capitalism rear its ugly head all too often, corrupting the pure form of capitalism that can offer all Americans real opportunity. A corrupt, crony Marxism is there right alongside. We have seen a progressive party divide the populace into racial and special interest groups, strip rights and bring as many people into dependency as possible. As our paychecks dwindle, we see foreign aid going to nations proclaiming their wish to destroy us and bankrupt businesses who have blown millions of our tax dollars. We have seen stock traders and legislators that break our laws yet never seem to pay the consequences that we would. It's not been a very appealing choice; certainly not a hopeful one. Romney has to convince the American people that his vision of hope is for all people. They won't settle for broad ideas this time around, but will require specifics and a record of results being put forward. He has to inspire our Hopeless Generation that they truly can have a real future beyond hoping for the crumbs tossed their way from Washington. He has to ensure the many dependent on an entitlement lifestyle that there is a better way for them; one that will bring them real freedom, pride and accomplishment. People need to know that he will hold everyone to the same set of rules and apply the rule of law to everyone. He must convey his sincerity in denouncing the cronyism in both parties and offer Americans evidence for an end to business as usual in both parties. Most importantly, Romney has to believe these things himself. This is why the November election is truly the most important of our lifetime. The destruction of hope in this nation has been painful and time is running out for this thing called “hope.” If elected, Mitt Romney has the opportunity to save and renew this Hopeless Generation if he chooses to take the right path. It is then the responsibility of the people to be sure he stays on that path. Long past November, our longstanding dedication to keeping our representatives focused every step of the way is the only way to bring people from despair to hope once again.