AIBU to think children are now in charge

[Itsmeagainandagain]

The school kids protesting in London, how things have changed when we were children we done what we were told, now the kids are laying down the law and dictating to adults.

We already know children know they are above the law and untouchable, we had Greta Thunburg blame the older generation for all the faults of planet earth.

AIBU to think that children are being disrespectful and have no idea how the real world works? These are the same children who would be in floods of tears screaming if you changed the WiFi password to their gadgets, WiFi that us adults work to pay for!!

[Itsmeagainandagain]

@Lessthanaballpark

Well we did fuck up the planet and left the mess for them to clean.

And the rape culture thing in schools thing. They are the ones experiencing it so why shouldn’t they protest?

Unless you think they’re lying?

I didn't mention rape culture, if you mean the abuse in the boarding schools, that wasn't the school I was referring to.
I'm referring to the demands of removing flags, wearing bright clothes as part of their uniform and wanting 90 million different genders.

[Herja]

Really? My mam left home at 14 to be a new age traveler campaigning against nuclear power and weapons (humerously she is now pro nuc power, with a CND tatoo). My grandad was a classic 60s hippy protest type, then a radical activist in his 20s. I definitely remember a mass walk out at school protesting the Iraq war and I went to a few others too.

Maybe it's just that you never gave a shit OP? Doesn't mean other people have always been the same.

[InsertFunnyNameHere]

Children have always had a cause and driven for change. I'm bemused that some people seem to think this is a new thing. It's just like generations moan about the next generation and the whole 'it was better in my day'

[Fizzgigg]

That's a fairly massive mischaracterisation of what the Pimlico students were protesting about.

[Fizzgigg]

My post was directed at OP

[cheesebubble]

I personally believe that this is a great change!

Why are children and especially teenagers not entitled to an opinion as well as our respect. It sounds to me as though you grew up in a household where your opinion was not respected or valued and you just did what you were told without anyone taking into account your feelings/opinions?

This is not how I'm bringing up my children, we're all in this together. One of the biggest rules in my house is respect for each other and I mean all of us, as well as our opinions. Why would age simply gain you respect and why should my children simply follow what I say because why is my way the right way? Any human should be respected despite their age.

[GoddessLocs]

I admire the "woke" generation, they are the first generation to have access to vast amount of knowledge at their fingertip and many are using it for the right reasons. Climate change is an very really issue for the younger generation and I think its great that they are being proactive in reshaping the world they want to live in

[Thatwentbadly]

I suspect it really is you again.

Every generation complains that next generation doesn’t respect their elders.

Exactly which protests are you not happy with? The one where black people want to be treated equally, where women want to be able to safely walk in the streets, the one where school children want access to education without being sexually assaulted and raped or the one where they want their children and their future children to have a word which is healthy for them to inhabit. I would love to know which one of these causes you think isn’t important and why.

[jessstan2]

I just scanned the latest news and cannot find anything about children protesting in London. Do you have a link? What do you mean by 'children', I doubt they are ten year olds.

If this is happening I think it is very good that young people are thinking for themselves.

From the age of fourteen I campaigned and protested about some issues.

I do not understand what you mean by "...we done what we were told", presumably you went to school. Perhaps you could campaign for better education as so many leave school semi-literate.

Let us not ignore the idealism of youth, young people should be encouraged to think and speak, not be shut up. They are the future.

[Lessthanaballpark]

I'm referring to the demands of removing flags, wearing bright clothes as part of their uniform and wanting 90 million different genders.*

Oh you mean Pimlico? I think they’re brilliant! Have you seen their demands? Which one don’t you agree with?

[Thatwentbadly]

I see, people are allowed to protest as long as you agree with their issues. Perhaps they should have to email you first to seek permission.

[justanotherneighinparadise]

If only we had the ability to look at this again when these kids are elderly and see what amazing changes they didn’t make. They still want all the consumer goods that end up in landfill, they demand the high standard of living that burns through whatever fuel source is in plentiful supply at that moment. They aren’t campaigning for things that will benefit the planet, they’re campaigning for superficial nonsense that benefits themselves.

[jessstan2]

Do you mean this?

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/31/pimlico-academy-pupils-stage-protest-over-discriminatory-policies

Good for them!

[CatsHairEverywhere2]

I’d rather my children spoke up about the things that were important to them, I encourage them to. If they want to protest climate change, they’re more than welcome to.

I think it’s a lot more terrifying having adults like you that wish to quash freedom OP.

[whenwillthemadnessend]

Your a very odd person.

It's fabulous kids are standing up to climate change. It will effect them the most.

[Lessthanaballpark]

The demand against Transphobia made me laugh though because if you read it they are being entirely gender critical. Neatly demonstrates the common misunderstanding over trans ideology amongst the regular population.

[justanotherneighinparadise]

Just to add I don’t mind that they’re campaigning for whatever they want, the headmaster sounds thoroughly dictatorial and has lost a huge swathe of his teacher staff, so his new rules are obviously massively unpopular.

My post is really a criticism of posters making out that these protests have some environmental gravitas when they really don’t.

[TheGumption]

The problem with your post is that you sound really ignorant and uninformed so you were never going to start a reasonable discussion. Rather than rationally pointing out what you have an issue with, you've presented a classic daily mail style rant about Great Thunberg and "50 million genders".

[Namenic]

Dunno - personally I think protesting at any age group is not necessarily the most helpful thing, especially during covid. BUT the issues people protest about are serious and the kids have a point as they will have to bear the burden the most for our actions on the climate.

[SpringTimeDream]

I think it is great when young people care about the environment apart from the mass gathering of MAINLY young people in Sheffield and Nottingham (LOTS OF STUDENTS ETC) that left all the bottles, cans, plastic and other rubbish for others to collect.

So great when they can be bothered but not so happy when they party and forget the environment etc etc

[Hardbackwriter]

I missed school to demonstrate against the Iraq war and that was (somehow, unbelievably!) nearly 20 years ago.

[Itsmeagainandagain]

There you go again putting words that's not there, if you mean should we treat black people equally, of course I bloody well do, but when you mean black women do you mean specifically in this country or all of them? Because I don't see the outrage at FGM or anyone protesting their outrage about that.

[minou123]

Yabu.

Children/young adults/school kids standing up for what they believe in, is the best of our society.

I particularly commend the school children/teenagers in the US who organised March For Our Lives.
After the Parkland school shooting, in which many of the were shot or were in fear for thier lives, they decided to protest against gun laws.

I find it amusing you think kids should just accept the violence, discrimination and other shitty things they experience.

Unless this is an April Fools ?

[BerylReader]

Well I don’t see a toddler running the country from Downing Street. Oh, wait ....

[Hardbackwriter]

@SpringTimeDream

I think it is great when young people care about the environment apart from the mass gathering of MAINLY young people in Sheffield and Nottingham (LOTS OF STUDENTS ETC) that left all the bottles, cans, plastic and other rubbish for others to collect.

So great when they can be bothered but not so happy when they party and forget the environment etc etc

This is such a weird comment - young people aren't a hive mind, it's perfectly possible that the ones who litter and the ones who protest about the environment aren't actually the same people...