Dear Meddling Kids,
Do you blame us? We are your elders, the GenXers, the parents, grandparents, the Adults. I'm 47, a mother of 2, a business owner. I have tried, in my small, benign way, to be a force for good in this world. I vote, I drive a hybrid, I refuse to own an assault rifle, I refuse to allow my children to use hate speech, or belittle those different from them. I speak with friends and colleagues - even when it's uncomfortable - about issues on which we disagree. I urge my children to seek out the meek, to stand up for the bullied. I make that call when something doesn't feel right, despite knowing that the authorities hate people like us....it's always been nothing...so far. I call people on their hate speech and microaggressions when I witness them, resulting in some seriously uncomfortable confrontations.
Do you blame us? You, the youth of America, who are speaking up so eloquently and forcefully. You who are managing to stay above the fray and never reduce yourselves to feeding the trolls. I know your names now - you are celebrities, of a sort. I do not envy you that celebrity. I DO envy you your strength. I never had it. I came of age in a different time. Yes, I marched against the first gulf war in 1991. I spoke out in my limited and quiet way about injustice as I understood it in the world we live in. I wept when I saw the hatred and the isolationism budding on the stunted tree of our democracy. I listened to Green Day sing "American Idiot" and I nodded in agreement.
But I didn't DO anything about it.
I marched in January 2017, with several million others. I continue to support local candidates whom I know personally who are running for office in the hopes of making positive change. I try to stay informed about who is running for what, and I make calls, write letters, tweet, and send postcards. I teach my kids about science, and responsibility, and urge them to reject hatred.
I do NOT want to make this about me. I do NOT want to detract from the power and joy I see in your work.
I want you to know...I see you. I support you. I grieve with you. I rage with you. And I am ashamed.
Please, do what we could not...what we did not. Lead us to a version of America I can be proud of again. I have sought out each of you and followed you on Twitter. I read what you post, I follow your links. I want to respond, comment, retweet....but I fear you will see my activities and my responses and think, gee where was SHE when they lifted to assault rifle ban? SHE is one of the ones who allowed this to happen. Where was she when the Tea Party gained momentum and hijacked our democratic process?
And you'd be right. We have failed you in so many ways.
You are our future - you are the ones who are going to build a world my girls can live in with pride and safety. And if in any way at all I can help, I will try to do so.
I will march with you on March 24. I have facilitated contact between local activists in my area and the teens organizing at the local high school. I will donate, I will amplify. And I will know it's still not enough.
But I will keep doing it. I will shoulder the guilt, and leaven it with the wonder I feel when I watch you all soar. I will cheer and cry, as I watch you change the world you were bequeathed and make it better.
You make ME want to be better. And I thank you for it.
