"No more."
This is something we've been hearing a lot of lately: No more sexual assault, no more gun violence, no more hiding how you feel, no more avoiding the issues, no more getting away with evil.
"Never again."
This is a phrase that Stoneman Douglas High School survivors are pushing as a result of the tragedy that happened earlier this month. They don't just want people to say "no more", they want people to vow to advocate for change so these things don't happen again -- ever.
The time is now to not only debate and bring new ideas forward, but to actually implement them. The time is now to finally say we won't deal with this anymore.
As a Millennial, I've witnessed others my age, or younger, becoming a new generation of individuals who believe enough is enough. Millennials and post-Millennials have been speaking out and speaking up, and people are starting to notice.
The most recent example we've seen of this was with those survivors from Parkland giving speeches to the community after the tragedy -- and they were outraged.
"We need to pay attention to the fact that this isn't just a mental health issue," said Emma Gonzalez, a student at Stoneman Douglas High School. "He wouldn't have hurt that many students with a knife."
Think about how hard it is to talk about these issues in general, and then imagine the bravery it took for students like Emma to stand up in front of the entire world and say those words.
Whether you agree with her or not, the courage is immense. This is the type of courage being forced into this generation by heartache and tragedy, and it took 17 innocent deaths for people to finally start listening.
Young people like these students are starting to take on the responsibility of making changes when others won't, and although they are young, this movement matters and has the potential to make a lasting impact.
Millennials are often stereotyped a being disconnected from or ignorant of current events, superficial, and dependent on technology. Now, these individuals are trying to prove that they are more connected than ever--and although they may be "addicted to social media," they are going to use this as a tool to have their voices heard.
Many tweets of young people voicing their opinions and frustrations are going viral, such as this one:
And they aren't afraid to stand up to those who may be older or hold more power:
As this "No More" generation blossoms, pay attention. Participate in the debates, and be respectful towards others' opinions. Join in the movement and make history with those who are paving the way. Most importantly, don't be afraid to speak out. If you don't, you may regret it. If you do, you will have both praise and criticism, but at least you know that you did your part by contributing to the movement.
Don't be a bystander. Don't let another tragedy take place in order for you to listen.