My generation comes from a different time and place.
Literally.
We are millennials, having lived through two decades, a century, and a millennium all before we turned 20. We came into a world where cell phones were the size of small monkeys, and a computer had it’s own special room in the house.
As the world stands today, though, if we didn’t know any better it would be easy to suspect that all of that was just a figment of some overactive kiddie imagination.
Technology wise, we’re so far advanced that it takes a literal scientist to explain all the advancements we’ve made.
Human rights wise, however, well, we’re still trudging along that path.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like it should be expected that everything would have changed in one day. It takes time for people to adjust. New ideas have to be slowly introduced, otherwise it seems like such a big shock to the system that it’s easy to deny it.
I am proud, though, of the attitudes of my generation. We see a different side of the coin, something our parents still struggle to understand. Our world is so different, so much more connected, that the suffering of one person is elevated and broadcast internationally.
We do strive towards a better future, and opinion polls among our generation are showing this. We’re realizing that some of the small stuff should be shrugged off, and that just because one person likes, for example, green, it doesn’t mean we should bash them for it and outlaw all wearing of green.
I’d like to say that we’re more understanding.
The job isn’t finished yet, though. Understanding is only one aspect of this whole equation. There’s a ton of other factors that come into play, and they tend to be brushed under a rug, for fear they may not be politically correct.
And then there’s still people out there who believe in some made-up, make-believe world where their ideas are the only ones that actually matter. Their loud, obnoxious opinions fill our ears and make us wince, although we laugh it off in public.
What I’m trying to say is that yes, for every idiot that waves around their hatred like a shiny Olympic medal, there’s ten millennials that roll their eyes and turn away.
The thing is though, that just gives these people more ammunition, because if you never say anything, how will they realize that they’re actually the ones who have messed up, and not you?
I’m not saying let’s go out and start fights. But, the next time someone tries to spread a message that is so outlandish, so hurtful to so many people, would it kill anyone to stand up and say that’s not right? Are we too understanding sometimes of those who only want to watch the world burn, so that they can rise to power?
Being a millennial is tough, but we’re changing mindsets, we’re doing new things that would blow the socks off of anyone else.
I just hope that with this new territory, we also recognize the importance of everyone’s rights and say something against those who try to deny them.
