Why Should I Bother?

    I was fifteen, sitting on the cafeteria table during a summer camp I was working. Surrounded by other volunteers and a couple of the adult teachers. My best friend, who was working the camp with me, sat on a chair below. Somehow, we had switched subjects from the hilarity of the kids we were taking care of, to politics. One of the adult teachers was from Eastern Europe, with a heavy accent and a big smile. We had grown to like him pretty well. Yet he was the leader of a group of teenagers who were advocating for socialism in America, demeaning our government, and overall just spouting wrong information. I was floored, and my best friend made eye contact as if to ask ‘should we say something?’.

    It can’t be lost on anyone that we’re faced with this sort of decision often in our country. A country of free speech, of opinions and change. I love living in a place where we can defend our opinions, speak up without fear. But sometimes, I find myself and others sighing and saying “Why bother? We aren’t going to change anyone’s minds.” before leaning back and closing our mouths, letting the world continue to spin and change around us.

    In a sea of millions of indignant advocates, it’s easy to feel lost. Easy to feel like you are the only one talking, yet it falls on deaf ears. It can be frustrating. But what’s more frustrating is watching as the world continues to spiral and knowing I could have done something. That’s why I still speak up. That’s why I share my opinion. That is why I challenge other ideas. Because at the very least, I know I tried. I planted my anchor, and hoped others would too. I opened my mouth, and prayed I would speak enough truth that it could be heard.

    I cannot vote, not yet. I cannot run for political office, and I cannot do much to change the minds of those above me. But I can turn to those next to me, and I can share my thoughts with them. We are the next leaders. Among us in a future president, journalist, police officer, judge, lawyer, teacher. If we stay quiet now, how are we supposed to be ready to speak up when we are older? We need to start now, or we won’t know how to defend our opinions, how to lead, how to think for ourselves, how to influence others. We need to start now, or our futures will be bleak.

   Who are we if we do not ground ourselves in our beliefs? I’m not reducing human identity to a simple set of opinions, but no person with any sort of depth is neutral in everything. We are more than just specks on this planet, more than some untethered collection of molecules in a large universe. We have ideas, and thoughts, and the ability to change, if not the world, then at least maybe the room you are sitting in, the person next to you, or even to just change yourself.

    My friend and I did speak up. We presented our own argument, we discussed with the others over their opinions. We gave our facts. And when it was all over, even after earning a few scowls and sneers our way, we felt like we had done something. Like maybe, we had grown, just a little. And I think that’s the point of speaking up. To grow, to change something in yourself. To become a better version than the world wants us to be.