If 2017 has proved anything, it’s that we need to be more vocal, and politically involved than ever before. The voices of disenfranchised young people are valuable, but adults deal in a different currency, so they don’t recognise our worth. Which means we must shout, instead of whisper. The recent elections in America have been catalysts for many women, people of colour, and trans individuals to step in to office, and begin reversing the harm done by cranky, old men. The last election in Britain caused the Conservatives, who blithely assumed they could increase their majority, to lose it instead. All this happened, because they took us for granted, and we made them suffer the consequences.
We’ve done so much already, such as: the ‘Women’s March’, Moonlight, #MeToo, Australia’s vote supporting same-sex marriage, the ACA (Affordable Care Act) surviving numerous attempts to repeal it, re-breeding parts of The Great Barrier Reef, the increase in honey bee populations, the decrease in child slave-labour figures, and the numerous Democrats elected to government who will fight to protect vulnerable citizens from the Trump Presidency.
But, there’s so much more we need to do in 2018. We need to champion the voices that matter: the voices of women, and trans people, and people of colour, those with disabilities, and those affected by mental health issues. They need to be the voices that are loudest. We should be looking forward to mid-terms and local elections — that’s where we can make the biggest difference. We must be vocal, because when we’re not, the only voices left will be the ones that sound like nails on glass. The ones that cry out for the deportation of exhausted immigrants, the ones that scream at trans people for using the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity, and the ones that rant about millennials somehow being responsible for everything wrong with the world.
If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that complacency is equal to agreeing with the vitriol the alt-right spout. If we don’t challenge the propaganda that harms vulnerable teenagers, then we are at fault. We should all be using our platforms to make change happen. It doesn’t matter if that platform is small, even if it’s just convincing your parents that Brexit might not all that beneficial. In 2018, we need to be more outspoken, more visible, and more willing to challenge the government over their mistreatment of minorities.
Photo: John Moore via Flickr
