VHeadline.com guest commentarist, student John Sanchez writes: There's something special when listening to songs of the likes of the Beatles’ "all you need is love" or John Lennon’s "imagine" ... and even Michael Jackson ‘man in the mirror.’  The lyrics of such songs bring attention to the human need for peace, love and happiness, and make one ponder about a world that possesses those traits.

I spent my teenage years in the 1990s ... I remember the rock concerts I attended in those days, musicians calling the 90s ‘Generation X’ ... even the rap/pop culture took up the name which became the trade mark of the decade.

Teenage years are the most beautiful years of one's life. They are a time of human growth, understanding, exploration, filled with adventures of love, passion, purity and thrills that life brings on. During this period, the hope of a fruitful future is apparent as many teenagers ship out to college and universities and some set their eyes on traveling exploring God’s great creation, ‘the world.’

Unfortunately the 1990s was not the ‘Generation X’ that pop culture sold around the world for teenagers like myself in Venezuela ... the 90s, like the past 3 years in this new millennium, can be called ‘Generation Y!’

Over the past 14 years, Venezuela has experienced three failed coup d’etat (Feb. & Nov ‘92, April 2001), a major natural catastrophe in the Vargas floods and mudslides, political uncertainly that has divide the nation and has which created an atmosphere of civil war among Venezuelans.

We have also seen the worst economic period in our history, and, as a result, crime, unemployment, poverty and the lack of knowledge and education rising to an all-time high. This, and the fact that Venezuela has lost it’s smile, makes up Venezuela’s ‘Generation Y.’

The youth of Venezuela are living the worst condition of all ... uncertainty.

They’re at the mercy of a political landscape that has no reasoning, except for those who are in this struggle for power ... power that only means personal gratification, since in the last 20 years, no one has laid out and/or carried out a plan for peace, economic growth, unity among all social sectors that will benefit ALL Venezuelans ... and a plan that will allow our young to explore life goodness.

The ‘Y Generation’ has heard from the voices in the wind, they come from all over the nation, speaking to us in different tones and sounds. Some making sense when speaking about unity ... and some preaching hate towards fellow men,  fellow brothers and sisters of the country and blood. The country's youth is getting restless, worried about how tomorrow will be?

Some have stopped thinking, and have accepted their fate; given up on life riches while just hoping to survive this wave of terror, this avalanche of anger, hate and, worst of all, an uncertainty as to their future, their home, their country and their own personal dreams.

As a member of this generation, I can only dream of a Venezuela fill with joy, where the young and old can come together in peace and harmony to speak of God’s greatest creations. Men and women of hope ...  seeking to better themselves in peace, love while sharing that love and growth with and throughout ‘El Bravo Pueblo.’

John Lennon once sang, ‘Imagine all the people, living life in peace’ ... and, even though these words are from a past generation, the ‘Y’ Generation of Venezuela can only stop for a moment and imagine as well.

John Sanchez is a Venezuelan student. 
You may email him at unionvenezuela@hotmail.com