You can legally drive a car at age 16. You can see a rated R movie at age 17. The legal age to vote is 18. Children in Nebraska are considered to be adults at age 19, but at what age does a kid’s opinion count?
The Parkland shooting that occurred on Feb. 14 of this year created a national movement, hitting home with many high school-aged students. There is no question that kids’ voices were heard.
Kids have started speaking up more recently and perhaps one of the reasons they are being heard more clearly is due to the use of social media. Even so, throughout history, kids have been known to make a difference.
Take Malala Yousafzai for example, as she defied the Taliban and demanded education for women in Pakistan. After she was shot for this act in 2012, the world knew her story. Rules were changed and her cries were heard. One 15-year-old girl changed the future for young girls in her country, despite what anyone said about her being not only female but a kid.
Ryan White was another young activist. In 1984, he contracted AIDS through a blood transfusion. He was ostracized from his school and community due to the stereotypes of the disease. Because of his hardships, he became the voice of a movement and educated the public about AIDS, eliminating misconceptions. For all of his efforts, the Ryan White CARE Act was created, which is a federally funded program for people living with HIV/AIDS.
Those who started the #NeverAgain movement were actual students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the school at which the shooting took place. They have received immense support, but also a great deal of ridicule. If they haven’t yet pushed for new legislation, they have certainly demanded attention with their marches, rallies, and voices.
Students speaking at rallies have been told they don’t know what they are talking about, when in reality, they are the ones who actually heard the fatal gunshots echo through their own school. This is something that most who ridicule have never experienced.
This shows that no matter how much credibility or first-hand experience you have, if you are under 18, it seems that your opinion will never be valid in the eyes of some adults. You are too immature to have a valid thought, let alone start a movement. So why is it important that kids keep speaking out about their opinion?
Age is just a number; it’s not your IQ, not a totality of your life experiences, nor a sum of your knowledge. In reality, you don’t turn a certain age and become an “adult”. Many of these individuals who are starting and participating in movements have taken numerous debate, history, and other classes that have educated them thoroughly.
Sure, you wake up one day and can vote, but teenagers are training their minds so that they can vote according to their own beliefs.
High school students are the next generation. They have a fresh perspective on traditional rules. There is nothing more important in than speaking up for what you believe in, regardless of age.