Rant & Rave
Rant & Rave
AM I less of a person because I am a teen-ager? I find that parents spend a good part of your time telling adolescent people how they should speak their minds, be involved, contribute ideas, challenge, be passionate, fight injustice, work to create a voice in society, act when action is needed and that one person can make a difference. Children will listen,
but will their parents?Isn't this what you want us, as the leaders of tomorrow, to do?
Doesn't this sound like an ideal start for those of us who will shoot for potential greatness?
Yet when we actually take some sort of initiative and, on our own, try to do this, try to fight for what we believe in, try to express what we think, try to let you in on the myriad beliefs in our hearts, you choose to ignore what we are saying.
If you do not agree with us, you tell us that we don't know what we are talking about. If it's something radical, we don't know how to do things the "right" way. If we want to voice something that is not popular, we are rebels and trouble-makers.
You will never hear our words if you insist on our silence. You cannot encourage thought if you try to censor our minds.
Yes, sometimes I seem to overreact. At times I am brash and (more times than I care to admit) I just don't know when to shut up. Sometimes, things that shouldn't be said are screamed. Sometimes I am influenced by my peers in negative ways. Sometimes I make mistakes that threaten everything good you have taught me.
In today's world I can understand how it must feel to want to silence the ugliness and prevent brutal truths from reaching virgin ears.
I understand how easy it is for someone to be manipulated by the malignant ideas of others.
I understand how worried everyone is that mere talk will rapidly morph into violent acts.
I understand where you are coming from.
But you must understand that sometimes the best way to keep us safe from it all is to allow us to experience it and come to our own conclusions.
Is this not the best way for me to learn? How will I be able to tell the rights in the world if I do not understand why there is need for a wrong? How is it possible to recognize morals if I have not seen the damage done by recklessness?
You have taught me, armed me with all the knowledge you can. Now is the time for me to test my voice in society. Trust me. Believe in me and in all of the good you have instilled in me, be it through knowledge or plain old good judgment.
Now is the time for you to stop trying to merely hear the words spewing from my lips and listen to what I am saying.
Recognize that not all teen-agers' talk revolves around boy bands, television and the opposite sex.
I have a voice and you should care what I am saying. I have things to say and it shouldn't matter who I am.
I just want to be heard.
And thus goes the cry of adolescents all over the world.
Jenna Takenouchi is a junior at Roosevelt High School. Rant & Rave allows those 12 to 22
to serve up fresh perspectives. Speak up by snail mail:
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd.,
Suite 210, Honolulu 96813; or e-mail or e-mail, features@starbulletin.com