It's been a crazy past couple weeks with all the events that have been happening in the media. After the Stoneman Douglas School shooting in Florida, there has been a bigger movement starting called #NeverAgain. It was organized by young teenagers or what other people refer us to: Millenials.
On February 14th, a 19-year-old came into Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Nicholas Cruz, the shooter, entered the school with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and shot and killed seventeen people, fourteen students, and three staff members. Two days later, #NeverAgain created a Twitter page.
The first tweet said, "This account is made for survivors to help cope with the trauma they dealt with and have been dealing with since. We are here to help." The hashtag immediately started trending online. People expressing their sympathy, prayers, and rally for change. Since then, those students and others are fighting for change are out marching government buildings and not stopping until something is done.
The group behind #NeverAgain is run by high school students you have gone through an incredibly hard and traumatic event in their lives. They are are pushing through that hurt and doing something about it. That is incredible! But still, people find millennials lazy. They mooch off their parents' money, can't do anything for themselves and don't know how to work hard. There is a trending hashtag, #MillennialOlympicEvents.
It started off as a funny thing for other millennials to joke and laugh about. However, a group of people began to find a way to insult millennials. Insulting events such as "Basement Dwelling", "Humble Bragging", "Synchronized whining" and "Who can with the most 'Participation' trophies". One even included "Abortion Triathlon."
Not all of us are the same.
We are put into our own political parties. We all have our differences. The one thing we do have in common is the fact we all know we aren't lazy. I have yet to meet a millennial who hasn't gone through some sort of situation where they have to work their butts off to get things done. Whether that's to get a job or to pay off college loans, we do the best we can. But yet we still get flack for it, even from politicians.
On February 20th, Florida lawmakers "against a motion to consider a bill to ban assault rifles and large capacity magazines." The vote was drastic. Among the disappointed individuals, Dinesh D'Souza tweeted:
I'm sorry, but aren't you supposed to be the adult? Instead of mocking the victims of that school shooting you keep your opinions if you really find it that repulsive.
Oh, but it gets better.
This man has political power. He felt comfortable enough to tweet something like this. The victims and families of those that lost a family member in the school shooting are mourning.But the students that have organized #NeverAgain are not stepping down. With several hateful comments from the public and those who see millennials as lazy and don't know anything, they respond calmly and respectfully (unlike those who comment that hate to begin with). Sarah Chandwick responded to D'Souza's tweet like a champ.
That is the definition of what adults think of millennials. That we don't know anything! We are a powerful and passionate generation that will not back down. We were raised (by many adults who think this way) to not give up on what we believe in.
You may continue to generalize that millennials are a wasteful generation and are lazy. Just know, #NeverAgain has been trending. An organization by high school students who can work together better than most politicians. We will continue to make a change no matter what you think.