OPINION

Is It Fair?
By: Jennifer N., Bishops College, St. John's, NF

Are you a teenager who has been judged recently or at any time? Have you ever gotten funny looks from adults because of the way you look or talk? Have you ever been kicked out of a restaurant (or anywhere for that matter)for just sitting and talking to your friends?

Well…………………What did you do? If you're anything like me you just walk away from someone who is that judgmental. But is that fair for us as teenagers,(the leaders of the future as we are sometimes called!) to be treated like the dirt between someone else's toes (That's gross I know, but it's true!).

Are you an adult that has judged a teenager on their looks without even a second thought? There are so many things that teenagers are interested in and are talking part in to show the adults of the world that they should not be judged on just their looks. For example, some people I know do great things with their free time. They volunteer in many different activities such as, carolling at the seniors home during Christmas, helping out with fund-raisers and activities for the Lung Association. They also may volunteer at their own church (like I teach Sunday School), and many more activities.

Many teenagers have part-time jobs at the mall, the many different fast food joints, or at supermarkets. Throughout all these activities they continue to attend classes, maintain their grades and receive a fairly high average. Now, granted there are some that cannot handle this pressure and don't have their priorities straight to be able to accomplish these goals. However is that any reason to make assumptions and judge all the teenagers you come in contact with?

If you see someone walking through the mall dressed completely in black except for his/her bright orange and yellow MO-hawk, with an earring in their lip and their nose, what is your first reaction? (Come on………..be honest!!!) It would probably be what did they do to themselves………what a weirdo!!! Believe me I know, everyone has judged someone else unfairly at one point in their lives. But it is not fair to the person that you are saying these things about. You don't know who this person is or what they do in their free time. The same goes if you have a bad or frightening experience with one certain teenager. That doesn't mean all of us are mean or frightening. It is not fair to judge us for that reason either. If you come in close contact with any teenager you should make the effort to get to know that person no matter what they look like.

All in all if everyone puts an effort into trying to understand everyone else our world would be a much better place. Adults should think before they speak/judge. Teenagers that are doing good things ~ keep up the good work. Those of you that are giving the rest of us a bad name ………STOP!!!!!!