An open letter to the young

An open letter to the young

I am deeply sorry. We have failed you.

It isn’t all of us. Some of us have tried to argue for sensible gun control. We tried, nevertheless, we have failed.

This is our fault. Every generation before you is to blame. We had the power and did nothing. Only your generation is innocent. We, the elders, have subjected this world on you.

We have tried to make a society where the lives of children matter more than the guns. After every tragedy, we tried harder. But the harder we tried the more resistance we met. And tragically, things have only gotten worse; more guns, fewer restrictions, more deaths but plenty of thoughts and prayers.

Many lives have been taken too early but that isn’t all that you have lost. An entire generation has lost its innocence. You deserved to be safe without the need for active shooter drills. You deserved to have an Officer Friendly instead of a Swat Team. You deserved to learn about Math and Science before you learned how mean a place the world can be. For this too, I am sorry.

And, of course, it isn’t just the violence. We are handing you a world that is broken in so many ways. Your generation will live long enough to witness the damage that our generations have done to this earth. It is with no small irony that the latest tragedy happened at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. You may not know this, but Douglas was a famous writer and activist who fought for the environment. She lived to be 108 years old and, yet her work remains incomplete. This particular tragedy represents many of the ways that we have failed you.

I confess that I have become disheartened and pessimistic. Even now, I doubt that we have the will to make real change. I thought for sure that Sandy Hook would do it. Surely, grade school children would be the thing that would break though. When we failed then, I became discouraged that we would ever find the will to make changes. I recognize with no small amount of shame that my cynicism has become part of the problem. When we become resigned to evil, it will surely prosper.

But there is one thing that gives me hope. For the first time in a long time, I am seeing signs that this time may be different. That difference is you. Your generation is more angry than scared, and you have something to say about it.

So speak. Say it loud. Be heard. Your voice has a power that ours does not. Don’t let this moment pass. You can become a powerful force for change.

We have no right to ask this of you. We know, it isn’t fair. You should not carry the burden for your own safety. For this too, I am sorry. Just know that you will not be alone. We will cheer you on and lift you up. We will be by your side the whole way and we will fight this fight together.

Furthermore, VOTE! Maybe not now but as soon as you can, vote. It may seem like a far off distant dream but it won’t be long. Of all the survivors from that high school, a vast majority will be eligible to vote for the next President. Don’t let that power go to waste. Vote. Every time. For every office, in every election. Vote as if your life depends on it. Vote as if your life depends on it because it truly does.