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Student Life: Standing up for ourselves

Why is it important to speak up? Why must we as a generation learn to let our voices be heard and our opinions be respected? As we get older, we slowly start to make the shift into adulthood; our rights become more solid, we gain independence, and we
Student Life Powell River

Why is it important to speak up? Why must we as a generation learn to let our voices be heard and our opinions be respected?

As we get older, we slowly start to make the shift into adulthood; our rights become more solid, we gain independence, and we start to have a say in how our society makes decisions.

These are big responsibilities, ones that can be quite daunting and even confusing to any young person. Before we reach that point, however, we still have to remind ourselves that we have more power than we might have expected.

Despite our ages and whatever people might think, our opinions as youth are still valid. The things we believe in and care about, and the things that revolve around our future have meaning.

In day-to-day life as a young person, many of my peers can relate to being brushed off as not being able to understand things because of our age or being told not to question what an adult has to say. Put under these circumstances, teens begin to forget their right to speak up and ability to change things. However, we need to start breaking these habits sooner or later, because change won’t happen with silence.

We need to start testing the waters of what adulthood will be like and the voices we’ll have. We’re teetering between naiveté and capability, beginning to make decisions that will set up the rest of our lives.

At the moment, there are a number of youth-run groups that push our right to share opinions both in our community and worldwide. Once again, we as young people have power.

We’re strong, ever-changing and ever-learning people who are truly able to stand up for ourselves.

The more we begin to stand together, the more impact we’ll make.

Macy How is a grade 11 student at Brooks Secondary School.