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During the Urban Retreat, I remember thinking, "When I get home, I'm going to go to every lunch table in my cafeteria to recruit new activists; I'm going talk and convince with ease and confidence; and I'm going to get swarms of students to march to the board offices to demand comp. sex ed. (ok, not really that last one--but nonetheless). Once I was home, I found the situation in Parma, Ohio to be quite different.
I made two mistakes: not considering the vastness of a cafeteria or the intimidation of noise. Wait...I'm supposed to go around this place and talk about sex ed. (imagine hundreds of students, loud students) and me, dramatically in the center, wondering where to go first. Perhaps its yet another problem with abstinence-only education, but it can be very awkward to talk about sex. I'm totally comfortable, but I've found some that are less than interested in the issue and more so in the 'sex'. One girl told me I was very bold for talking so openly; another told me "I know its an issue, but I don't know..." If only they'd had comp. sex ed., this whole battle for comp. sex ed. in Parma would be easier--they'd know exactly what they're missing. This is a hard issue to explain to someone unknowing.
Nonetheless, they didn't have comp. sex ed., and I've found that at times in our activism we're more so advocates than organizers. I often find myself speaking for my peers that don't have a voice--yet. I won't get to every lunch table (it makes me nervous and I've only gone to a few), but I will talk about sex and sex ed. whenever I can. I will penetrate my peers with information, either directly or indirectly. I do prefer to speak quietly, but I will not be silenced by intimidation.
AFY_EmilyB
| 9/29/09 07:20 PM
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DaniBoi216
| 10/5/09 02:52 AM
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