A couple weeks ago, I was chatting with some friends in the library after school and somehow began talking about the current situation in Washington. We discussed in detail the executive actions of president Trump. We expressed our frustrations at the lost progress and effort of the valiant protesters of the Dakota Access Pipeline. We enumerated the logical failures of defunding planned parenthood. After a while, after-school responsibilities called and we began to conclude our conversation. As we were making our way out of the library to our other engagements, someone said, “well, this is the next four years.” “There’s nothing we can do,” agreed another person. My immediate response was no. It’s not.

No, it is not true that we can’t do anything. Yes, I know we are “just” teenagers. Yes, I know we can’t vote yet. Yes, I know we are “only” in high school. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make a difference. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t or can’t have a role in shaping the world in which we will have to live. Do you really think that that’s what a democracy is? Voting, when you’re old enough? No. Democracy is so much more. Democracy is a verb. Yes, voting is an action, and yes, it’s important, but that isn’t all there is to democracy. Just because you can’t vote doesn’t mean you don’t have a voice. The textbook version of democracy may be “a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives,” but that is not what makes a democracy. Democracy is people taking an interest in the way their country is run, the actions their executives take, the environment that it creates, and how people are treated. Democracy is 3 million people marching in the streets to make their voices heard. Don’t ever think there is nothing you can do. When you think like that, it lets unacceptable things happen without protest. When you think like that it allows you to be complacent.

It’s easy to become complacent. Easy to complain while thinking, “there’s nothing we can do.” But there is so much we can do. Do you support planned parenthood and recognize that it’s in danger? Raise money. Do you disagree with executive action? Organize a protest, talk to other people, express your sentiments in a useful way. Try calling your local legislators or politicians. Make your voice heard, take action. If you don’t know where to start, try talking to other students, researching online, or joining an activism club. If you really care as much as you say you do, or as much as you arguably should, none of these actions are too much work. Remember, the actions taken by our government and our people now will impact our country and our world for years to come.