Just the other day, whilst on a trip to Walmart, I couldn’t help but stop in front of the clothing section, hanging up on a clear plastic hanger was a shirt. Typically, I wouldn’t give an article of clothing much thought, but it was the words printed on the front that caught my attention. In large, black, gothic style lettering, this T-shirt proudly displayed the word “Rebel.”

I would really love to meet the person who bought this shirt.

I pondered for some time if the people that bought this shirt had ever, at any point in their life time, considered themselves rebels. For one, the true irony of buying a ‘rebel’ shirt from one of the world’s largest corporations is truly comical. But that’s really beside the point. I can’t help but wonder, what is America’s fascination with the disobedient and non-law abiding individual? Nearly every person I’ve ever spoken to has had something negative to say about the society they live in. Some, have even gone so far as to say that they are, in fact, revolutionaries or rebels, true pioneers of a new world. I look around to see what they have accomplished, and every time I look, I see no change. So, they refuse to conform to society, and yet every day, at nine a.m. sharp, they head off to their corporate job, and return to their commodious homes, just a little after five. But granted, they do have some witty anti-Bush bumper sticker on their Civic, I’m sure that makes up for the eight hours they spent attempting to cajole their boss.

Reb•el n., adj. [reb-uhl]
-noun
1. A person who refuses allegiance to, resists, or rises in arms against the government or ruler of his or her country.
2. A person who resists authority, control, or tradition.

We love the rebel, we want to be the rebel. That is what society now expects of you, that’s what they want of you, small, weak minded rebels. So are the ones who go along with society, and support it whole heartedly the real rebels here? Going along with society isn’t really the norm anymore. Many go along with the society/government-bashing crowd, just to belong. Who’s the conformist now?

Of course there are things wrong with our society, there’s no doubt about it. But until you’re truly ready to stand up and do something about it, don’t call yourself a rebel.