In recent days, protests have been cropping up across the country. The news of President-Elect Donald Trump taking office has spurred many men and women to take to streets to speak out. Even high schoolers have also been showing that this win is also on their minds. I was absolutely proud as I watched in my local area as one by one (my Alma Mater included) walked out during the school day. The students planned and proceeded to walk out in the middle of the school day to show they also won't allow bigotry become normalized.
These walks aren't just protests but also signs of solidarity. Many of the students are of minority identities. These protests show great strength as they choose to stand up and fight back. Their protest didn't go unnoticed and came with much backlash. Much of the backlash was the standard cries of, "What is the point of doing it now?" "They all need Spankings!" and "They should be in school, not protesting." They have been called everything from "Spoiled Children" to "Pawns". The problem with that is that people continue to believe that they as growing adults, they shouldn't have a say. They believe in "Children are supposed to be seen and not heard." Its truly upsetting that some many people dismiss and put down these young adults. As their influences and peers, We should support their ideas and continue to uplift them.
Many also complained that these students are missing school and they could have done it after school. The problem with that pathway is they wouldn't have received the attention that they needed. The persistent talk of the students is what is needed to keep the message going. They are using their voice and those same "spoiled children" are the ones that are going to take care of this country after we're gone. Remember these are same children that are being influenced by Trump and every negative influence. This is the time that we should mold their minds to teach them that they can speak up and be heard. Another problem I have found is that many of the parents that want them to stay in school are the same parents as teens that skip school for no reason. I know personally a larger group of people that complained and expected them to not to march but yet they themselves skipped on the regular. That's something Alanis Morrisette would call 'Ironic'. Would you rather they skip class or would you rather them stand for their rights as human beings?
A year ago, if you asked me, I would've told you that I didn't believe that Millennials would make the difference that we need in this country. In the last few weeks, my ideas of young millennials have changed. I sit here in absolute awe of them. I applaud them and I will steady support them as they consistently surprise me. It seems ridiculous that anyone would want to extinguish the fire that burns inside these young adults. We live in a country that "believes" in free speech but continues to try and shut us up. Something that many people forget is that these "children" are soon going to be taking care of this land we live on. To quote Richard Vernon of the 'The Breakfast Club', "You think about this: when you get old, these kids - when I get old - they're going to be running the country."
