Do Our Opinions Not Matter?

     Dale Price is  being officially  called the World's Most Embarrassing Dad. Each day for the entire school year, he stood outside in a different costume to wave at the school bus carrying his sixteen-year-old son, Rain.
     Suddenly, my parents don't seem that bad anymore.
     I read a newspaper article about Price's antics and how they have gone viral. The reporter interviewed Price and the bus driver, but not Rain or any of the other students on the bus. That seems more than a little strange to me. This is Rain's dad. He's being affected by this more than anybody. Isn't his insight the most important? Had I written this article, I would have interviewed Rain first, then his father, a classmate, his mother, and then the bus driver.
     Sadly, very few adults seem to care about the opinions of young people. We're here, we have our own ideas, and we matter. So why are we never heard?

Teens Can Invent, Too

     Popsicles. Cancer screening. The toy truck. Sign language translator. The toddler-proof safety gate. Non-reusable syringes. Earmuffs. Some of these are little inventions that we use each day for entertainment or necessity, while others save lives. But what do they all have in common? In case you're too lazy to raise your eyes to the header, I'll tell you: They were all invented by kids.
     I'm using the term "kids" loosely here. Elizabeth Nathan and Gabrielle Pollack (syringe) were nineteen, technically adults. Ryan Patterson (translator), Chester Greenwood (earmuffs), Ben and Janet Song (cancer screening) were all teenagers when they came up with their inventions. The rest were invented by thirteen-and-unders.
     Like many of their adult counterparts, these young inventors got their ideas from simple everyday experiences. Frank Epperson left a drink with a stirring stick out overnight. Ryan Patterson was sitting in his local Burger King, watching a man translate sign language into English. A thought became an idea, an idea became an invention, an invention changed the way we all live our lives, one way or another. Just because they're young doesn't mean they can't make an impact. And that doesn't mean you can't either.

We Were There, Too!

     Every day of the school year, teenagers sit through history classes, learning about adults who shaped history. Sure, they might throw in the story of a young person here and there, when the story fits the topic. They might mention a few teenaged soldiers or the girls who went on strike for better working conditions in factories. In America, they'll certainly mention Sacagawea, who met Lewis and Clark when she was only sixteen. But for the most part, the younger side of history is nonexistent. When I ask my  friends what they think about this, they respond, "Well, teenagers haven't done anythng important."
     We Were There, Too!: Young People in U.S. History, written by Phillip Hoose, proves them wrong. The book starts of with the story of Columbus' cabin boy and finishes with the young activists of the nineties. Every single story is true. Some of these youth, like Frederick Douglas and John Quincy Adams, became famous as adults. Some, such as Jennie Curtis, a young strike leader, vanished into history. Still others died as teenagers, like Samuel Maverick, a seventeen-year-old killed in the Boston Massacre.
     One of the reasons I like this book is because it talks about minorities. Hispanic-Americans, Africans-Americans, Asian-Americans, women, and, of course, young people are all written of. It honestly changed the way I saw the world. After reading it, I felt proud to be a teenager and wanted to go out and make an impact. I learned of most of the people in my Teenagers Who Changed the World series from this book. I encourage everybody, regardless of age, to read it.
    Note: I am not being paid to praise this book. I did not receive a free copy from the author or publisher. I got it from the library and read it several times. This is an honest review.

This Just Makes Me Laugh

     We live in a dark, dangerous world. Tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, wars, and drug abuse are all plauging the peace of the world. But in the German city Eppelheim, citizens are facing a very serious problem that makes all others pale in comparison. Teenagers are sitting on the benches the wrong way, perching on the top of the bench with their feet on the seats. Some claim their shoes dirty the benches. Luckily, the mayor came up with a brilliant solution: put the seat on top! Thank-you. The world can breathe freely now.

Dying Teenager Makes Bucket List

     Everybody has things they want to do some time in their life, but most of us procrastinate. We figure we'll have long lives, lots of time to do what we want. Alice Pyne doesn't have that luxury. At fifteen, Alice has been fighting cancer for four years. As she's reaching the end of her battle, she came up with a list of seventeen things she'd like to do in her remaining time. The list includes

• To swim with sharks
• To go whale watching
• To make everyone sign up to be a bone marrow donor
• To enter Mabel (cute doggie in the picture) in a dog show

     As Alice's list goes viral, she inspires countless others to take action, help others, and fulfill our own dreams. She reminds adults just how special teenagers are. Thank-you, Alice, and good luck with your list!

You're Only a Teenager Once

     You hear a lot about how teenagers should act more mature, more adult. But we aren't adults. We're teenagers. The teenage years are a time to have fun, make good choices, make bad ones, and learn from your experiences. As far as I'm concerned, adults have exclusive rights to all that "grown-up stuff", like worrying about mortage, employment, the economy, blah, blah, blah. You're only a teenager once, so why not enjoy it while you can?

Syrian Teen Murdered at Protest

                                                  
     Anybody not living underneath a rock is aware of the protests taking place in the Middle East and Northwestern Africa. Teens and young adults are playing a huge part in all of this. Rebels are communicating via social Facebook, Twitter, and other tools of the youth. But some are doing more than just spreading the word. One Syrian boy is rumored to have given his life.
     Thirteen-year-old Hamza Ali al-Kahteeb participated in a demonstration outside of the city of Deraa on April 29. Some accounts say he was shot three times and killed. Others say he was arrested and tortured. A thirteen-year-old, tortured. His body was returned to his family almost a month later on May 21. Activist sites say that in order to get his body back, the family had to sign a paper saying they would keep quiet and bury his remains immediately.
     Here's an equation for you, Syrian government: protesters+murder=martyrs+very angry people. Especially when those martyrs are young. Back in 1770 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, a group of boys were throwing rocks at the store of a merchant who was selling British goods. The merchant panicked, took his gun, and fired a random shot into the crowd. Twelve-year-old Christopher Seider was picking up a rock when the bullet struck him in the head. A few days later, a funeral procession of 5,000 Bostonians filled the streets. That made many people in Boston very mad. That attitude spread, starting a little event that would be known as the American Revolution. It happened once, it can happen again. Smart move, Syrian government. Your people are coming down on you. Human rights groups are coming down on you. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is coming down on you. Do you know what she said? "I can only hope that this child will not die in vain but that the Syrian Government will end the brutality and begin a transition to real democracy."
     Hundreds of other revolutionaries were killed, but this one stands out because of his age. Be careful. Don't mess with teenagers or the world will mess with you.