I grew up with movies chock full of superheroes warding off monsters and villains, and books that told the tales of mighty, valiant saviors. I looked up to these gods and goddesses, queens and kings, and hoped one day to be just like them. I tied blankets around my shoulders to look like Thor, and leapt off of my bed like I was hurtling into the mouth of a monster. When I was little, I wanted to save the world.
However, as I grow up, I’ve thought less and less about becoming a hero wearing a cape and fighting off monsters, but more about how to take on inequality and hatred. While the world may not need saving from aliens or monstrous creatures, it still needs saving. The villains have taken on the form of corruption and strife, violence and injustice. At the same time, the picture of a hero has changed from a teenager toting a massive sword to a teenager wielding a picket sign.
Over the past few years, an increasing number of people, especially students, have been taking part in waves of protests and movements against issues that threaten our future, from climate change to Dreamer deportation to school shootings. Just last month, thousands of students walked out of their high schools to march against climate change. Social media has been flooded with posts calling for everyone, from the government to everyday citizens, to take action against the issues jeopardizing our world. Despite the critique of many, more and more teenagers are fighting for their future. We are far from uninformed or foolish. We aren’t children. We’re a product of a world that has forced us to grow up, and we do what the adults who criticize us couldn’t and wouldn’t do.
Last year, 17 people were shot and killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. I felt useless in my sadness and anger. I was nothing close to the hero I had envisioned at age five; I was just a quiet sophomore in high school, who could do nothing but watch the list of school shooting victims grow ever longer and wonder if one day my name would join that list.
A month after the shooting, I participated in my first walkout. Hundreds of Aragon students joined thousands more across the country as they walked out of their classes to honor the Parkland shooting victims. For 17 minutes, we sat in complete and utter silence as the names of the 17 Parkland shooting victims were read aloud.
It wasn’t much, but it was something, and when it comes to changing the world, something can mean everything.
“We can all be the heroes we once dreamed of being, if only we take action”
Protests don’t have to be loud and massive. The actions that speak the loudest can be as silent as the tap of a finger to share a picture of Hong Kong protestors linking arms against a barrage of armed police, or the deafening silence of students sitting and remembering on a football field. There is power in silence and stillness, and there is power in speeches and rallying. From the roars of the Women’s March raising awareness about sexual misconduct to the outpouring of social media posts standing in solidarity with victims, lasting, impactful change has been achieved; powerful public figures convicted of rape or sexual abuse have faced jail time, and thousands of crucial conversations have been sparked. We’ve come a long way through protesting, but the journey toward a better world is far from over. There are problems staring each of us right in the face and demanding our action, whatever it may be.
There are countless different ways to spur change. People are beginning to harness their silence, their voice, and their passion to change, and maybe one day, save the world. We can all be the heroes we once dreamed of being, if only we take action.
Make people feel something. Make them listen. Make them act.
