What Washington doesn't get about young Americans -- according to 22 college students and recent grads

[LearnedHand]

5. From Madelyn Rowley's essay

Washington seems to think that pronouns matter more to us than peace does. For years, legacy politicians — especially Democrats — have cloaked institutional violence with an agenda of “inclusivity.” They seem to think that young people will forget about the mass shootings and federal agents in their streets the second the White House hangs a Pride flag from its balcony. This is called pinkwashing, and we’re not buying it.

Young Americans aren’t unintelligent. We’re not looking for a military with diverse representation; we’re looking for an end to the seemingly never-ending, state-sponsored warfare that tears apart the lives of millions at home and abroad. We’re not hoping for a female president as much as we’re hoping for any president who shows real solidarity with working-class Americans and their legitimate fears. We don’t need our law enforcement undergoing training to be more respectful of their coworkers’ identities; we need them to stop shooting us.

As a queer journalist, speech matters a great deal to me. Of course I appreciate legislative efforts that seek, in good faith, to correct histories of verbal and systemic injustice. But inclusive rhetoric overlaid on imperialism is no more than a Band-Aid on a bullet wound.