I am not a pessimist who says that there is doom and gloom in the near future be- cause of the rottenness of this generation. Nor do I believe this generation is some- how a breath of fresh air that gives great hope for tomorrow.

Instead, joining me on the stroll for the diploma are two types of people: those who understand truth and those who do not. Once upon a time, so I’ve been told by the older generations, education was a study of the fundamental truth. Today, so I’ve been told by some in the younger generations, truth is relative.

In a recent classroom discussion, a friend of mine asked, “What is the definition of ‘morals’?” My hand shot up for the two-word answer: “Absolute truths!” Followed up by my friend, “Based on your choice, though.” “No, I mean absolute absolutes,” I replied. “That means morality is the same, regardless of the time, place, or circum- stances.”

I admit it. I’m an old-fashioned fundamentalist in the body of an 18-year old. Since I believe in the Bible, the law of gravity, natural rights and other important absolutes, I tend to consider truth a fixed and timeless concept. When Jesus says, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free,” I don’t think for a moment that the spiritual standard of freedom could be a changing one.

The idea that truth can change is the reason freedom is being tarnished in America.

Moral relativism has caught on in so many ways–from popular media and public schools to higher education and interpersonal relationships. Those for whom relativ- ism has become a mindset are the blinded division of the Class of 2003.

Here’s the part that many of the optimists are missing: the blinded half of the gener- ation is further entrenched in the depths of relativism than even the 1960s genera- tion. The reason it doesn’t usually seem that way is because the lifestyles of young people are less rebellious than they were thirty to forty years ago. The 1960s gen- eration institutionalized radicalism to the point that it ceases to be notable when a young person chooses to follow Amoral Road.

The lost half of the generation is symbolized best by the Leftist activists who remain in the street to protest America. They would rather battle police officers than fight the terrorists, file lawsuits than take responsibility, have abortions than raise a fam- ily.

Contrast the side of the generation that knows the truth. It seems to follow an old, simple guidebook.

Among the guiding principles of this side of the generation are the following: (1) it is a duty to fight for one’s country in time of challenge, (2) it is an obligation to transmit moral values onto the next generation, and (3) faith in one’s self is secondary to faith in God.

The better half of the generation is best represented by the young men and women who are returning home from Iraq. They remember, as Darryl Worley sings, “There’s some things worth fighting for.”

The Class of 2003 is not a massive caravan on AC/DC’s Highway to Hell, nor is it the pilgrims’ shining city on a hill. There are two sides of the generation, and they share the equal opportunity to drag the following generation down or lift it up.

Conflicts as deep as the moral gap in the Class of 2003 are not easily resolved. But I am reminded, at the completion of my K-12 education, that the task of rising to the obligations toward God and country, family and liberty, are not mere options. If the truth will set us free, relativism will enslave us. The Class of 2003 could be the end of a nation or the beginning of a grand renewal.

In any case, pray to God that He will bless this generation.

Hans Zeiger, age 18, is a 2003 graduate of Puyallup High School. He is an Eagle Scout, President of the Scout Honor Coalition, Chair of the Washington Young Americans for Freedom, and a columnist. He may be contacted via email at hanszeiger@yahoo.com.

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