What Kind of Power Do We Want?
Our movements and the lessons we are passing on
Last night, a friend and I were drinking beers on my porch, trying to avoid the interior of my house which had been overrun with 13- and 14-year-olds.
With all the windows of the house thrown open to catch the few breezes of a summer storm, we could hear the kids clearly. I don’t make a habit of listening to them as I respect their privacy and, frankly, because their banter is rather boring (Lil Nas X’s Twitter account, Minecraft updates, the teacher who doesn’t know how to use the projector).
But sitting out there we did overhear some snippets of a conversation about one friend being “banned” by another friend for using incorrect pronouns for a third friend. The kids at my house were debating both the offense and the banning. I don’t really know the details of either.
I do know the kid who committed the offense and misgendered a peer. He’s a blundering and awkward kid, who seems to have a still-developing ability to focus keenly or read social situations. He’s kind and smart, but obtuse in a childish way that presumably will be shed in the next few years. I also know the kid who “banned” him: She is principled and genius-level smart, and a fierce advocate for her friends.
