And believe me it has been quite an interesting trip. I'd like to leave YN now and hopefully leave behind something for the rest of you. As you all know, I am 20 years old, getting a bit to old for this youth gig.

I have always hoped that YN was the minority but it appears that it is in fact not the case. I don't think that I can stomach what exactly the youth of the nation have to offer society when generation X finishes off with their turn in power.

Some examples:
28,000 people kill themselves every year
1,900 people are seen in the ER every day for self inflicted injurys
1 in 5 have seriously considered killing themselves
1 in 6 have planned to kill themselves
1 in 12 (37%) make an attempt every year

7.1 percent of the American population will have used some illicit drug this past month
50% of High school seniors have tried weed, and 22% are still users. Weed was the cause of over 110,000 ER visits in 2001 and 15 percent were between 12 and 17 while 2/3rds were male.
53% of male juvenile delinquents tested positive for marijuana upon arrest for an unrelated crime while the number is 26% for females.

Americans spend 40 billion dollars a year on dietary products and weight loss formulas rather than eating healthy and exercising.
Over 60% of Americans are overweight and a third of them are obese. 15% of teen girls and 14% of teen boys are obese.
25% of Americans with eating disorders will die from them
Over 5% of teenagers 12-17 have an eating disorder, this number is likely much higher due to non-reporting.
1 in 8 teens suffer from depression

Ironically enough, most people that come through this site have at least one of these problems. I did not even scratch the surface of all the issues that are out there, all I know is that these trends are on the rise in America. I do not have any of these problems, which leaves the topics of discussion for me to relatively few. These boards are not what they used to be, there was a time when I could log on and have a debate with any number of people, now my conquests are relegated to speed.

I would suggest that all of you within the description that the stats I posted represent get help. Stop using the internet, find yourself some friends, pick up a sport or a hobby that does not involve the TV or the computer, and try to live a life.

Even more I see the polarization of the youth today, not necessarily on a political level but also on a social level. I have maintained since day one of the Bush administration that this polarization would destroy America, I held out hopes through 2006 that maybe it would be solved after the end of the republican congress, but I was wrong, the polarization continues and with renewed furor.

I have never written one of these posts before, for any site, and I would like that to speak for itself when the discussion of my seriousness ensues. But alas, I am finished here, I have been re-admitted into whistlestopper, where I can enjoy debate amongst real adults and not just those pretending to be grown ups.

The few exceptions on this site to the rule, I invite you to continue e-mailing me, or talking to me on IM. I'll stick around long enough to see the end of this thread, and then my little YN tab is going away from my toolbar forever, or until someone can provide me with a good enough reason to come back.

Later.

Sorry guys, I'm closing. Please feel free to start a related topic in War and Terrorism.

quote:

Originally posted by Knighthammer:
If 9/11 had been stopped the world would not be the same. I bet you stop the world wars to. Then you want to stop the civil war. Each time the world keeps changing more and more. You'd probably stop Jesus from dying and then what? Where does the want to change history end? Also there is no peace there never will be unless there are no more people. This war is not pointless it has been for the best the world had to change and change is a painful process. I wont deliberate on the what-ifs but I would not change anything in history given the chance. Nothing. Because as a wise man once said "Kick a stone and you've changed everything."

No shit! The world might be different! Holy crap that's amazing!

Anyways, I was a bit rushed in typing that (cursed edit time limit), so I should add that I also would have stopped it to save 3000 lives. Well, more, actually: 3000 on 9/11, 2000+ in the war, and however many civilians who died in Afghanistan and Iraq simply because our president is too afraid to admit he was wrong.

Yeah, the world might be a little different.

Go to afghanistan and ask someone if things have improved in the last five years.

We are the worlds only superpower thats why.

No the terrorists do what they do because they have a twisted version of a peaceful religion. Any sane person can tell who is right in this war and who is wrong. We never snuck into their cities and murdered 3000 civilians.

quote:

The war is about us defending ourselves and destroying terrorists

Its that second part I don't agree with.

quote:

we are the worlds police

Who gave us the right to be?

quote:

good of mankind

Whose version of good? I am sure the terrorist don't think what we are doing is for the 'good of mankind'.

So you want us to defend ourselves yet not go to war? You want the impossible. As long as there are people whose sole desire is to kill me, not just my president and my goverment, but me and everyone I love give me a gun and i'll send a few of them to Allah. The war is about us defending ourselves and destroying terrorists who threaten many other countries like it or not we are the worlds police. Yes people have died but unless all Americans can see that it was for the good of mankind then they died for nothing.

quote:

War is necessary.

War can be nessesary. Often times it is not. When I talk about war I mean all war. not just with this country. People just need to leave each other alone.

quote:

Or would rather we just bowed to the Taliban?

Of course not. Don't be silly.

quote:

For Gods sake they killed 3,000 of our people!

And what is the war doing?

quote:

Originally posted by LoveTheRainbow:
I understand it will change everything. What I don't understand is with people are so quick to jump to war? War is ridiculous.

War is necessary. Or would rather we just bowed to the Taliban? For Gods sake they killed 3,000 of our people! I dont know about you but I will NEVER let that pass.

I understand it will change everything. What I don't understand is with people are so quick to jump to war? War is ridiculous.

If 9/11 had been stopped the world would not be the same. I bet you stop the world wars to. Then you want to stop the civil war. Each time the world keeps changing more and more. You'd probably stop Jesus from dying and then what? Where does the want to change history end? Also there is no peace there never will be unless there are no more people. This war is not pointless it has been for the best the world had to change and change is a painful process. I wont deliberate on the what-ifs but I would not change anything in history given the chance. Nothing. Because as a wise man once said "Kick a stone and you've changed everything."

quote:

where I can enjoy debate amongst real adults and not just those pretending to be grown ups.

A generalization, of course, but proven true a bit too often.

Also, I would have stopped 9/11 if I had had the chance if only to prevent us from getting into this pointless war.

quote:

Originally posted by LoveTheRainbow:

quote:

I wouldnt change it for the world.

So you wouldn't have stopped 911 or the war on terror if you could have. That seems a little self centered

No i wouldnt have because it happened for a reason. It happened so that we could see the evil brewing in the world and fight it. Those people had a destiny and they met it on 9/11. I'm sure it wasent what they expected but they fullfilled their purpose. I cant change the past and I wouldnt because who knows what would have happened had 9/11 been stopped. Maybe things would be better, maybe worse but I dont care to find out.

quote:

I wouldnt change it for the world.

So you wouldn't have stopped 911 or the war on terror if you could have. That seems a little self centered

(I meant to add this to my last post) This what my generation has to tell:

1. 9/11
2. The war on terror
3. The Lord of the Rings book/movie craz
4. Wii vs PS3 vs Xbox 360
5. A guy getting shot over a PS3
6. Standing in line for a video game system
7. The Chuck Norris craz
8. Online gaming like World of Warcraft
9. The rebirth of Star Wars
10. Video games becoming a billion dollar industry.
11. Myspace
12. YouTube
13. Rap music
14. CGI in movies
15. Growing up with the internet
16. Blowing on N 64 cartridges (something no other generation will ever relate to)

We may not seem like the future of the world to you but I am proud to say i lived through that and still am because that is my history and I wouldnt change it for the world. And I'm sure you parents imagined the same thing and I'm sure thats what i'll think about the next generation.

quote:

Did anybody else find this statement a bit offensive?

Just a tad.

quote:

About time!

Now that was a little rude. But what else would I expect from you...?

quote:

where I can enjoy debate amongst real adults and not just those pretending to be grown ups.

Did anybody else find this statement a bit offensive?

About time!

quote:

I think we will all miss bopings.

*sigh* As much as I hate to admit it, I will, too...

Ah, yes. I think we will all miss bopings.

I feel like I should say something, but I doubt Hydrok will see it (and I can't think of anything to say anyways). Oh well. I'll miss witnessing the cardboard boppings, that's for sure.