The simply reality of the situation is that young people aren’t the same across the board, and yet NYRA continues to paint them the same. That is essentializing the realities within our society. That is my consistent gripe with what you are arguing for.

I thoroughly believe that by oversimplifying the basis through which individuals experience oppression, you (personally) and NYRA (organizationally) harm your own efforts. It would be so much more honest if you would simply acknowledge that oppression affects different youth different ways: if 4 young-looking males walked into a store together, 2 of them clean, friendly-looking chaps and 2 grungy, grumpy looking dudes, which would get followed?

All this is to say that there are many issues that extend far beyond age that affect youth, especially with regards to their rights throughout society. Pretending that compulsory education sucks for all youth is a myth: lots just want schools worth attending. Dreaming the vote matters to all youth is false: lots just want their parents’ vote to matter at all. Let’s not turn a blind eye to the effects of oppression on youth from different backgrounds, socio-economic realities, sexual orientations, or communities anymore.

And Alex, let’s quit naming anything that offends our personal sensabilities as ageist or anti-youth rights; that’s not right. One of the components that makes a movement a movement is that there is a diversity of thought within.