A week doesn’t go by without an article being written about how Millennials are ruining x-industry or that we’re too sensitive. We can’t afford homes because we’re too busy going to brunch, traveling the world and buying avocados. We’re selfish and ruining the diamond industry because we’re getting married later in life, which means we’re also having children later in life. We believe in and want safe spaces, and we’re tired of hearing racist/homophobic/transphobic/etc slurs that folks thought were okay to say.
Basically we’re tired of the bullshit.
We’re tired of saying that the government is too busy policing women’s’ uteruses, that shit like Standing Rock happened. We’re tired of people caring more about pissing off the NRA so school shootings, church shootings, theater shootings (are you sensing a trend here) keep happening. Flint, Michigan still doesn’t have clean water, but that’s not getting coverage anymore because of the shenanigans of this current administration. The media loves to paint Anglo mass shooters as mentally ill people instead of calling a spade a spade. They’re domestic terrorists. You know it, I know it, everyone friggin’ knows it. And don’t get me started on how much backlash the Black Lives Matter movement has received for standing against corrupt police officers killing unarmed Black Men. I could go on and on about that, but I feel like my aunt and uncle did a great job of explaining that and much more on this podcast episode.
I guess what I’m getting to is this: We’re tired of the bull and we’re speaking up and doing something about it. One of my favorite songs from Justin Timberlake’s new album is “Say Something”, and in it he mentions that sometimes the greatest way to say something is to say nothing at all. I disagree. He even mentions keeping quiet in certain situations even when people are telling him to say something, and while that might work in certain situations it doesn’t work when it comes to basic human rights. Don’t worry about getting “caught up in the middle of it”, in fact if you’re doing something right that’s where you need to be. Speak out, and speak loudly. Don’t be afraid to ruffle a few feathers at Easter dinner if you hear a relative get out of pocket. You can do it respectfully, but don’t be afraid to correct them. Don’t be afraid to write to your reps, in fact you can call them, leave voicemails and even reach out on social media too! Don’t be afraid to march! Millions of people this past weekend did just that in solidarity with those hurt and killed in the Parkland Massacre. But that march this past weekend wasn’t just for them. It was for every child/teacher/faculty member who’s been hurt or killed in school shootings since Columbine. We Millennials have a fire in us and we’re fighting back, and if you think we’re bad wait until these Gen-Zers get of age.
So to all of those out there standing up for what’s right, keep giving ’em hell and letting them know that the laws need to be reformed. They’ll just have to get used to us because we’re not going anywhere.