From The Mouths Of Babes
By Nicole Nutting
The March For Our Lives reminds us that, once more, children are forced to behave like adults because the adults are behaving like children. My generation was fired up in our youth–we stoked the Civil Rights Movement, rejoiced in the Feminist Movement, and protested the Vietnam War. Then, proud of ourselves, we dusted off our hands and relaxed. The interim generations rode the wave of our successes, until our successes eroded into failures, and here we are again.
Maybe you’ve seen those emails that go around periodically, entitled “There–I Fixed It”, with photographs of creative repairs and solutions. Most are temporary cures, at best–they provide immediate gratification, but wouldn’t hold up over time. Political action seems to follow the same track. We celebrate each advance without remembering that lasting change demands continuing input. To rest on our laurels is, in reality, to slide imperceptibly backwards. Much like a garden, we can plant desirable ideas and policies, but without ongoing maintenance they wither and die.
What would our lives look like if we had REALLY kept the pressure on? Maybe 30 fewer women would have been abused by Harvey Weinstein. Maybe “Black Lives Matter” wouldn’t need to exist. Maybe the Neo-Nazis would still be under their rocks. Maybe we’d have a decent human being in the Oval Office instead of a skeevy mobbed-up money-grubber.
If we’re lucky, the #NeverAgain movement will help turn this country right side up again. These young people are the future–they envision a better world, and they have the energy to drive change. They are us, fifty years later! The current focus may be gun violence, but don’t be surprised if they begin to scrutinize every injustice. On their own, they have already seen the connection between massacres and racism. These teen activists recognize the disparity between the privileged and disenfranchised.
History has proved that grassroots action can effect a national shift, and it is sorely needed! My generation allowed weeds to overtake the garden, so the least we can do now is raise our voices with theirs.
