When you ask the majority of people what they think of when they hear the word "Star Wars," while the truly ignorant would say, “Is that the same thing as Star Trek,” most people would say that "Star Wars" is a movie series created by George Lucas that takes place in outer space and can be most aptly identified with lightsabers, blasters and droids.

However, if someone were to ask me what I think of when I hear "Star Wars," I would say something like, “'Star Wars' represents the internal struggle that is present within every single person between pure justice and good and pure evil” (but I’m paraphrasing of course).

Each "Star Wars" movie has one quality that unifies the start of each episode. Within each episode, the galaxy is always in some state of turmoil, whether it be political unrest, impending danger from an oppressive leader or taxation of trade routes (I think). However, thankfully there are the Jedi, who are the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy, and they always seem to be fighting to thwart the efforts of evil within the galaxy.

Now it is easy to distance the "Star Wars" universe from our own. So far as the general population is concerned, no one has lightsabers or blasters, and we only have access to one planet in our solar system. One could argue that the "Star Wars" universe does not contain even a single parallel to our well-known reality. However, one needs to only turn on the news for a brief ten minutes to get the feeling that we have somehow stumbled into the beginning of a "Star Wars" episode, where the galaxy is falling apart from the unrelenting siege of evil.

It is now more important than ever that the current generation take a lesson from the "Star Wars" saga. Arguably, the evil that permeates our society threatens not just the American way of life but the human way of life with each passing day. And much like the Sith, the more we ignore it, the stronger it becomes. This observation is not strictly limited to the aspects of terrorism and violence in our world; this observation can be extended to the medical and scientific communities, the political sphere, international relationships, and most importantly, the social-emotional aspect of human existence.

In each of these areas there is a growing need for talent, innovation and – quite frankly – justice. While the problems and the “Sith” of the world have not hesitated in making their presence known to us, sometimes it can seem as if the “Jedi” are nowhere to be found.

The current generation has the potential and talent to solve many of the issues that our society faces. Much like Anakin Skywalker, we all have the potential for greatness, and the potential to create the next solution to any one of the world’s problems. To be fair however, there is always a dark side. The dark side represents using aggression, anger and hatred to achieve power, which because we are only humans, is a much easier strategy than trying to employ patience, temperance and compassion when attempting to destroy one’s enemies.

Similarly, the current generation must make the choice between doing what is easy and possibly more profitable ,and what is right. That choice is much easier said than done because let’s be honest, the dark side is much sexier (they have cool outfits, better weapons and who can resist the red lightsaber). However, the burden remains on the shoulders of the current generation to decide wither to effect change, go against the current and fight for what is right or to do what is easy, thus buying into the dark side (not that the majority is always evil and wrong, but you get the idea).

Make no mistake, there are plenty of people who will want young talent to work for the dark side. There are even people active in the world today who do not hold the same values that most of us deem self-evident. These people may be using their powers for evil. Simply consider the power of persuasion and rhetoric; who within the political sphere chooses to use that power for self-gain and who actually stands behind what they propose? These are the essential questions that the current generation needs to ask in order to differentiate between the light and the dark.

I personally like to attribute each major character within Star Wars a “Jedi or Sith moment,” in which they directly influence the movement of the story in the direction of either good or evil (yes I’m a Star Wars nerd, get over it). For example, Luke’s Jedi moment was in episode six when he argued with Darth Vader on the bridge and created a conflict within Vader, which eventually yielded a conversion of Vader from the dark side back to the light. All it takes is one Jedi moment.

Will you take the job that has the higher paycheck or consider which career will allow you a happier life for you and your fellow man? Will you call out others who discriminate against gender and race or will you remain silent? When no one is looking will you do what is right or simply what benefits you?

So in the face of terrorism, social discrimination, struggles in the realm of health and science, technological advances, political activity, environmental deterioration and inter-personal relations – all of which are able to be changed positively or negatively by the growing talent and drive of the current generation -- what will your Jedi moment be?