The Dream Defenders point out that the topics that have been debated, thus far, have been too narrow and have been tailored in a way that excludes too many Americans.
As we have discussed in class, there was plenty of talk about restoring lost American dreams of the middle-class, but what about Americans who never had access to that dream in the first place? What about people who could not lose what they never had? Why aren't we talking about the elusiveness of the American dream as well as the loss of it?
We hear some, but not enough, about middle-class homeowners who are struggling to hold onto their homes; but we hear even less about the increasingly unbearable burden of student loans, especially in an economy of low wages and few jobs.
Candidates, of course, give young people their good wishes and say they want them to have jobs, few address the problem of a minimum wage that has failed to keep pace with the rate of inflation over the past 40 years, and is now sharply below the level that would constitute a livable wage for a full-time worker.
One of the things I am most impressed with, about these young activists, is that they are distinguishing between merely touching on an issue, as part of a talking point, as opposed to actually discussing the issue at-length. These days, too many of us settle for touching on topics, but lack the attention-span to examine these topics at length.
You can read more about the Dream Defenders on Truthout
Or on Twitter and other social media: #ChangeTheDebate
