People born between 1981-1997 are labelled as "millennials". Millennial is a label to just define a groupd of Americans born between a certain range of years, but in the eyes of baby boomers and generation X it takes on a whole new meaning. For the people older than us, they hear millennial and think whiny cry-babies who think they all deserve trophies. Odd, because they raised this generation and think so poorly of it. It is time to set the record straight.

Keep your damn trophy, we don't want it. Do you really think we need a "trophy" to validate ourselves? Our "trophy" is being paid decent wages that our proportional to the amount of debt we assumed to complete college. I am sorry that we want validation, but we do not need it in the form of this so-called trophy. Stop undermining my hard work as participation and equating it to a participation ribbon.

Call me a cry-baby or whiny again. Millennials have opinions and views about the world around us. It may not line up with our grandparents, but it deserves equal respect and understanding. If I want to stand in front of a fish store and protest to free the fishes, that is my right too. It is not me crying, it is not me whining, it is me practicing my rights and fighting for my opinions. Let us stop demonizing passion and confusing free-thinking for misguidance.

Stop telling me I don't have it that bad. All of us who have roofs above our heads and shoes on our feet are extremely thankful. We know our lives are good. We know that it could be worse. Trust me, we know.

Do not say "when I was your age..." Comparison is very unfair these days. How many times do I need to bring up the minimum wage then versus now and college cost then versus now arguments before I have exhausted all my energy? I am sorry that I have not married myself off and created the nuclear family by age 22. In this day and age, careers are the main drive in millennial's lives. Livable wages do not exist without college or technical school educations and lots of experience.

Stop calling me a liberal. This is insulting. People see liberal as this dirty, hippy term. Baby boomers are dismissive to anyone they deem a dirty liberal. As if the opinions of the most socially progressive generation do not matter. Sorry that a large number of people believe that race, religion, sexual orientation, among other things should not deem what rights you do and do not get. We are not sorry if it really offends you that much. Do not view my youth and assume liberal, assume human rights activist instead.

No, I do not need a safe space. School shootings and violence are at an all-time high. Violence is normal for our generation and it has been this way since we were born. School shootings, massacres, and what not seem normal and does not affect us as much as they should. Old people all stare at the news and exclaim "what is happening to this world", but we stare and say "oh, it has always been like this for us". Schools offer safe places and guidance after scary things happen. It does not make a person less of a person because they want to use it. We do not need it but the outlet is appreciated.

Before you generalize a whole group of people and dismiss them as being a hindrance to this society. Remember all the influential people stemming from this generation, and remember who raised these people. Before you accuse me of being a baby and joke about how I just want a trophy, just give me an inch of understanding. Listen to my views and opinions, listen to my voice, and try to understand. No one is saying that some things that millennials do are not silly or stupid, but this has been the case in all generations. There is too much negativity in this world to go around and start bashing a group of people for the generation they were born in. The negativity is exhausting.