Since when did the word 'idealist' become a bad thing?

Students today don't trust people with causes. With apathy having become the status quo on college campuses across the country, excepting nostalgic liberal schools like UC-Berkeley, students have set themselves in a self-interested policy of noninvolvement.

When anti-war protesters are accused of marching for attention and their own personal gain, I begin to wonder what ever happened to the idea of holding onto beliefs. We live in a region of the country where religious beliefs are so stiff that they are allowed to infringe upon individual freedoms (like the right to buy a glass of wine with dinner or the right not to have a monument of the Ten Commandments in court). This might lead a newcomer to believe that, since religious idealism is so prevalent here, other forms of idealism may be as well. Unfortunately, beliefs concerned with politics, war and matters of national interest are met with criticism.

When did Americans decide that someone with ideals is not to be trusted? Why are so many students rigidly apathetic? Maybe it isn't cool to know who you are going to vote for or WHY you don't support an income tax in Tennessee. Perhaps we are all just too centered on ourselves to worry about issues that concern politicians. Then again, we may all be trained through example to take the path of least resistance.

Politicians are commonly thought of as crooks and liars. These 'leaders' of our nation are powerful and successful role models for citizens everywhere. For the most part, they don't have to form real opinions on issues; they just have to change them when the polls change. Presidential candidates pick their positions on important issues like abortion, war and education based simply upon votes.

Other role models in society - like teachers, reporters, and businessmen - cannot speak their minds for fear of losing their jobs. These people, who exist all over the place, push the concept of prudence at the expense of idealism.

It doesn't make sense today to be idealistic. It costs people too much. It takes some kind of masochistic personality to speak your mind regardless of who disagrees and who is upset with what you have to say. It is much more self-serving to keep opinions bottled up. You don't lose your job or make people mad at you. That's why people don't trust anyone without an agenda. Americans don't trust people that aren't self-serving because we don't trust people that are different than the status quo.

I may sound unreasonable. I may sound like an 'idealist' instead of a realist. That isn't looked upon as a good thing anymore. Maybe I'm not taking the reality of our world into account. I may not be, but let me ask you this: what would happen if we did speak our minds?

If everyone but the tiny minority keeps their mouths shut it becomes all too easy to single out and punish the loudmouths. If so many people weren't afraid of speaking up, how much harder would it be to punish the people who did?

What it really comes down to is who is in the minority. As long as idealists with strongly held beliefs and the courage to stand up for them are marginalized, and continue to allow themselves to be marginalized, they will be looked down upon. As long as we glorify presidents and politicians that lie to us, as long as we romanticize self-serving interests and as long as we ignore the people with ideals, we will continue to be a nation racked with apathy, selfishness and mistrust.

Steve Helgeson is a junior History major from Chico, California.