By WILL CARROLL

The Mirror reporter

Throughout history, we can look and see the power youth voices have had. Protesting against segregation and the Vietnam War. Great moments of social change, revolutions protests, riots, all had the youth at the forefront. But now it seems this voice has gone silent.

The most you may see of any large-scale student protest covered in media is for gun control and legislation. But these protests have failed to gain any large traction in the grand scheme, rather they’re flashes in the pan, popping up for the next situation to take place.

SPASH is no exception. During the March 14 walk out, only a small number actually attended the full walk out, with roughly the same number only walking out for the moment of silence. Even after the demonstration held in front of SPASH, barely any students really walked out, most just returned to class. Where’s the power in this? Have we really gotten to the point where our voices are only as powerful as those in charge will let it be?

Part of this limitation is the harsh stranglehold the school has on us. We can’t walk out without our parent’s permission, and if we do there are consequences, consequences that many don’t feel are worth the punishment. We’ve lost our mojo, and we gotta get it back.

Viva la révolution, viva la jeunes

We hold the future in our hands. Through our struggles, our choices, and our voices, we can create massive change in our schools, in our homes, and in our societies. We have the strength to create the world we want, the systems we want, to destroy systems and methods that bring people down.

We have the advantage over those who may be older, the fact that we have not yet been jaded by the status quo. We still have in us the revolutionary spirit of youth, the flames of change and liberation. This light that we still have among us shouldn’t be self-contained or only shared with limited groups. This energy should be passed along to everyone, shared and noticed.

The people united will never be divided

Often times in youth protesting and political activism we don’t see much organization. Organizations may exist, but their knack for setting up anything above a protest or two is waning. We need to be able to organize to create change.

When we organize with our friends and people we trust, we create a culture where we are no longer a singular force to be reckoned with, but rather a community, and when you stand as a community, you stand taller.

Through organizing, sharing ideas, and protesting what we see as unjust, we can shift from a culture of authority fearing and neutrality to a culture of change and seeking what’s right. Through time we’ll create a greater sphere of influence for the voice of the people and of the youth.

When we stand up, treat each other with respect, and put our voices into the world, there is nothing we can’t achieve.