rise up Rochester

Are You a Rebel?

We must take action as students. Whether you are in high school, college or university, now is the time to speak out. Do you feel that natural urge to rebel against society? Your teachers? Family or parents? The urge to rebel is natural, but society attempts to manipulate us by giving us petty things to care about.

Wear too much makeup. Do drugs. Pierce your ears. Buy Abercrombie clothes against your parents will. Why not blast loud music? Perhaps drinking will prove what a ‘rebel’ you are.

Nothing is more satisfying than being a rebel against society, but only if it is for the right reasons. Many young people who rebel in today’s society seem to think the things they are doing are ‘sticking it to the man’, although this couldn’t be further from the truth. Amazingly enough, playing  Xbox all day and stumbling around drunk all night hardly poses a threat to ‘the man’. The real way to be a rebel is to stand up for your civil liberties and never compromise your beliefs.

No friends, we as students have a higher calling. If you really want to be a ‘rebel’, speak out against real evil going on in the world. Corrupt teachers, administrators, police, elected officials and corporations.

Beer pong is played out. It’s the same game in and out, every night. Standing up for your civil liberties by protesting or marching, confronting politicians and asking tough questions to your teachers and professors is where it’s at. Nothing is more exciting than going toe-to-toe with corruption and evil Nothing is more fulfilling than knowing your life has purpose.

Ultimately it comes down to duty. If you party your life away and just try to fit in, your name won’t find a place in the history books. Stand up against tyranny? Who knows, you might just be the next Martin Luther King Jr., Savronola, Ghandi, Mises, Schindler or Jefferson! Don’t know who a couple of those figures are? Perhaps you might find a new personal hero in one of the above.

Flickr: Phillippe Leroyer

It’s not hard to stand up, but it takes a conscious choice to become a champion for liberty. The first step is to draw your line in the sand. Do you want your parents reading your text messages to your friends? Would you mind if your teachers lied to you about known history? Are you concerned about the security of your credit card account? What if all of this was compromised by the government? The fact is, if you make the decision to draw your line in the sand you’ll know when you have to take a stand. Then by acting to defend your liberty, privacy and dignity, you’ll be rebelling against the powers at be.