A Letter to the Next Generation of Political Fighters
I know your future will be bright because our darkness taught you the way.
Inauguration Writing Advent Day 17-Prompt Provided (Unknowingly) By a Strong 13-year old who fears for her future.
“My 13 year old ‘joked’ at the dinner table that she’s pretty sure the future is going to be a “big bag of shit” due to the current political crisis. There was some gasping and yelling and loud indignation about privilege. When things calmed down we came up with a list of reasons why the future might be okay.”
The above prompt was posted on social media to garner positive responses and hope to give my friend’s young one during these times of chaos. I have included a few of those responses throughout the article, listed as words of hope.
“new and seasoned activists have recharged themselves/ourselves and we are awake.” -Words of hope, given in response to the above prompt.
To all the little ones.
The generation growing up amidst the worst political and racial crisis since slavery and the Civil War. The generation who are already more knowledgeable about politics and proper democracy in their teenage years than I am at 30 years old. You are our heroes.
To Generation Z, our saviors. You are the young ones growing up with so much fight and equal ratios of knowledge and strong voices. You know there are so many problems that many blissfully ignore. This scares you. It should.
This fear should be motivation to keep asking those questions. Keep listening to all sides and only siding with the truth and not the propaganda. You are being raised, young ones, by two generations who have seen so much.
One generation has lived through the turmoil of political deception that began with Bush Sr. and has led us right on up to Mr. Donald Trump. This generation voted for Obama with tears in their eyes. Finally, a president was progressively standing on the doorway of true democracy. Generation X paved the way for those generations after.
The other generation, they have seen a lot too and get a bad rap. Generation Y, affectionately known as Millenials, these are your parents as well. This generation has created a voice so loud you can’t turn away. The sound of equal rights for all, equal pay for all, EQUAL FOR ALL has been reverberating from our throats since birth.
I fall into this category, though I am not a parent. Two generations of the progressive movement have led us to you, little ones. To your brains full of questions not only relating to sidewalk chalk or lunchtime antics. Instead, you ask for justice and order and skin color not being a death sentence. You are my heroes, and I hope throughout this fight we can prove to be of some type of support. We want your future to be bright too.
“Inquisitive kids who find out the answers to their constant questions (from parents, teachers, librarians, etc.)”-Words of hope, given in response to the above prompt
These are my words of hope for you. This world can not live in darkness forever so long as lights like yours shine bright, little one. I am fighting with all I have in words and voice to make sure this future is brighter for the generations behind me as well as those who have lived through it all.
Lest we forget that beautiful things bloom and grow in darkness and filth. This big ol’ bag of shit right now will be a green, beautiful oasis so long as we fight hard for what we believe in. What you believe in, what I believe in.
Know this, what is happening now IS NOT okay. Know also that we see it is broken and are frantically working with glue and patience to bind the pieces back together. This looks like a historic presidential election voter turnout, unprecedented Senate victories for Democrats in a once red state, and screams so loud for racial justice our throats are raw.
Keep that fear, little one. Keep your fight and keep your sense of what is right and wrong. The future is bright as ever on the horizon, this I can tell you with certainty. When that flame begins to flicker and you need just a bit more light, look to those who have raised you and taught you to feel the ache of injustice and what it looks like. When your flame needs igniting, they will be the match.
To the littles one, you are our heroes.
“Love conquers hate”- Words of hope, given in response to all that lose hope
