I'm that girl.

I'm the girl who might get on your nerves. The one who you probably roll your eyes at. The one who speaks her mind even when she is afraid of what you might say. I'm the girl who talks about politics, and your opinions won't stop me from doing so.

When a political conversation arises, chances are, I will contribute. I will not be disrespectful; I will respect other's opinions while stating my own. But if you are the person who tells me to stop talking about politics, I ask one thing of you:

Please stop.

Please stop looking down on me because I choose to talk about these issues. Please stop telling me that it doesn't matter. It does matter.

And that's the thing. It does matter, whether you choose to talk about it or not. Politics are not going away, no matter how many times you silence the people who have opinions. You can choose to ignore it, but you can't expect other people to do the same. Because it is important. It's real. These are issues that are going on in our world. Today. Right now.

Yes, I am a teenager. Does that mean I can't have an opinion? I can vote. That should be enough reason for me to be talking about these issues.

I choose to be informed on issues that I find are important. If you aren't informed, that's fine. I won't judge you, but you can't judge me.

So next time you hear someone talking politics and you don't want to hear it, walk away. Don't tell them to stop talking. Don't tell them it doesn't matter. It matters. You're not going to shut me up. You're just going to make my voice louder so I can be heard.

Sincerely,

That Girl.