As far back as I can remember, I've always been a stubborn person. I will never back down from an argument, and I will go out of my way to not do something that someone else has told me to do. Although this quality makes me pretty insufferable, I attribute most of my accomplishments to it. When I say stubborn, I'm not talking about the unwillingness to compromise. What I mean is I refuse to let people tell me what I can and can't do because of who I am. Since the events that took place on November 8th, I have been terrified for young people. Soon Trump will be president, and let's just remember that during this campaign Trump was trying to appeal to female and minority voters. Now that he's won, he doesn't have to be so subtle. I am not a parent, nor am I going to pretend that I know the first think about raising a human being. I do know one thing: Kids need to be stubborn!
On November 8th, kids across the world learned that you don't need intelligence or decency to successfully become one of the most powerful people in the world. Young girls and minorities have seen that a president who values their respect and self-worth is less important than an empty promise to build a physical monument to America's stupidity. They will listen to a president say that no one respects women more than him, and then listen to that same president tell them they do not have the right to choose what they do with their bodies. They will hear a president tell them that he is not Islamophobic and then hear that same president call for a ban on all Muslims entering the country. They will see a president claim he is not racist, and then see that same president call for the return of stop-and-frisk. They will watch a president tell them he is not homophobic, and then watch that same president try to create a supreme court that will favour overturning same-sex marriage. This is why we need to be stubborn, because it is unacceptable to think that kids will grow up believing they only deserve to be treated as well as the President of the United States treats people.
We have to let kids know that if someone tells them they can't do something because of who they are or what they look like, then that person can go fuck themselves. This is not at all to say that kids should reject all authority, this is to say that kids should know that they have the right to the same opportunities and respect as anyone else. They should know that if someone tells them that they are less than because of who they are, then that person is a fucking asshole. If a kid dreams of being a mathematician and someone tells them they can't because they're a girl, they should tell that person to go fuck themselves and go to MIT. If a kid dreams of being an athlete and someone tells them that they can't because they're gay, they should tell that person to go fuck themselves and go to the Olympics. If a kid dreams of serving their country and someone tells them that they can't because they are Muslim, they should tell that person to go fuck themselves and become a general.
Kids have to know that just because someone is the President of the United States, doesn't mean they are always right. They need to know that if Trump tells them they can't do something because of who they are or what they look like, they should tell him to go fuck himself.
Is it a coincidence that I am a female software engineer? No it fucking isn't. I am where I am because I love what I do and I'm stubborn as hell. I just hope kids will be too.
Share This Article
