They have done it before and will continue to do it until the end of time. Students all over the country have taken matters into their own hands to lobby for, and demand, stricter gun control. This movement is being led by children as young as fourteen, who now have to deal with the aftermath of having their classmates and teachers murdered in cold blood, footsteps away from them. They have had enough.
We should've all reacted this way twenty years ago after Columbine, but it took this long for thoughts, prayers, tweets and Facebook posts to not be enough. Actual, tangible, legislative change is necessary. But these children, these children who lived through some of our most terrifying nightmares, are doing what a lot of us never thought to do.
Teenagers and students all over the world have often been the ones to ignite change: from the students that led to change in 2006 Chile, to Malala Yousafsai and other teenagers who have fought for human rights. As teenagers and students, they not only represent future generations- they are future generations. They are our future doctors, lawyers, teachers, CEOs and Presidents.
Teenagers have the advantage of viewing things simply, of not having enough time to acquire loyalties and biases that can lead to danger like older adults and politicians who continue to benefit from organizations, such as the NRA. Students view things as simply as they should be viewed: a single life is worth more than a million guns.
I am tired of adults viewing these students as immature children. Yes, they are young, they have their lives and education ahead of them. But, it is because of these reasons that they ask for safety and protection, because they shouldn't have to fear going to school.
As someone who is still young, just a few years older than the high school seniors at Marjory Stoneman Douglas, I still view the world innocently, believing that there is good in the world. These teenagers are the same. They aren't worn down adults who have lost the sparkle in their eyes and hope for change.
These students grew up in a world where things changed everyday, where technology boomed and where information was at their fingertips. They have seen things evolve overseas. They believe that things can change. I find that often adults who have been in politics for a long time become discouraged. They see the truth- that sometimes things don't change. Yet, instead of working harder, they become complacent and begin to give up. They know that things aren't black and white, or as simple as we as teenagers and students think them to be. However, knowing the truth is a disadvantage to them, because they no longer feel the need to modify the truth.
I am proud of these teenagers and students I see fighting for what they believe in. It reminds me of the people I read about in textbooks who stood up against their governments in support of what they thought was right. Teenagers aren't dumb and addicted to their phones. Teenagers are intelligent and determined, using their phones and computers to gather the information they need to make a change.
