Editorial: Don’t doubt teens

We’ve seen a lot of teenagers thrust into the national spotlight in the past few weeks.

Some have dazzled audiences by winning medals in the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, while others have commanded the attention of the nation by calling for stricter gun laws following the senseless tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., that left 17 dead.

Lately, teens have continually shown overwhelming strength, compassion, and drive. Not bad for a generation that is often accused of being self-obsessed and lazy.

To start on a light note, American teens have repeatedly showcased athletic excellence during the Winter Olympics.

Two 17-year-olds, snowboarders Chloe Kim and Red Gerard, took home Olympic gold in the first week of competition.

Going into her final run Kim had scored a 93.75, enough to earn the gold in women’s halfpipe. Knowing that she could do better, Kim didn’t use her final run as a victory lap, she viewed it as a chance to achieve a higher score — a near perfect 98.25.

Gerard earned his gold in slopestyle, his 87.16-point showing during his final run was enough to earn him the first gold for the United States during these Olympics.

While these teens has overcome adversity to be among the best in the world at their respective sports, another group is overcoming a tragedy to show us there is still room for improvement.

When 18-year-old Emma Gonzalez took the podium at an anti-gun rally in Fort Lauderdale just days after more than a dozen of her peers were gunned down, she captured the attention of the country.

“They say tougher guns laws do not decrease gun violence. We call BS,” said Gonzalez. “They say no laws could have prevented the hundreds of senseless tragedies that have occurred. We call BS.”

Gonzalez is just one Parkland-based teens who us using her justified anger as a way to call for change. Some others are setting up actionable movements that will capture the attention of legislators across the country.

Many survivors of the shooting have used their voices to plan rallies and call for the election of officials who want stricter gun laws.

In recent weeks teenagers have powered through adversity in the national spotlight to give us something to talk about. Some have united our nation through the joys of competition, while others have used their voices to make us think about the possibility of change and bright futures where children aren’t gunned down in school.

We shouldn’t underestimate teens. They can do a lot for us.

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