So what can I say about Friday? I had a complete whale of a time. I suppose it still hasn't sunk in yet, just what we, as a generation, have achieved.Think about it this way, in legal terms, a life sentence is 30 years. We were the first people in the Commons for 300 years who were not MPs. Thus, not only was this a once in a lifetime opportunity, it was a once in TEN lifetimes' opportunity. It would not perhaps be inappropriate to say "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind", but maybe a little OTT.
For me, the honour of being chosen to speak is second to none I have ever had in my life. There were some points that I did not agree with in any part, but as Harry and Mr Speaker said, that is the beauty of democracy. The media coverage has been staggering, though of course there were some reports I did not appreciate due to their condescending and derogatory nature. Certainly, in our society we have the right to free speech, however, I have just as much right to disagree! I hope people reading this will appreciate that young people are just that, people in our own right. I spoke at a conference, as I have already mentioned, on exactly this subject. I had feedback from one of my local councillors who said "I never looked at young people in such a way, maybe I will now". Point taken?
People often ask me how to communicate with a young person. The answer? With respect and not in a patronising way. Treat us how you would like to be treated. Just because we are young does not mean we have no life experience. Certainly, we may not have to pay a mortgage, we may not quite understand high finances and maybe, just maybe, we are more bothered by what's for dinner than the state of the stock market. This makes us no less human. If you ask young people, especially those involved in anti-social behaviour, why they act how they do, there is pretty much ALWAYS a reason for it, such as family problems, bereavement, peer pressure etc. I could list you countless experiences I have had, or my friends have had, or people I have simply spoken to have had, but that would turn this into a "pity me, I'm so weak" blog. Certainly not. Life is not about what is thrown at you, but about how you deal with it. I wonder if some journalists took this into account, they might have been more human about the event. Rant over :)
I must say though, the feedback I have received from my peers and teachers has been phenomenal. A friend said "It was really nice to see all of you there, representing our views. As you said, you were there for us, not just for yourself". So for that, I would like to thank everyone who was positive and gave the day a good vibe, and those who were less so for giving me something to blog about. And of course, everyone who facilitated, organised and made the day happen, especially John Bercow, who I think did an absolutely sterling job. I would like to congratulate my fellow MYPs, thank the PGs and thank you, yes you, for reading. I hope I have given you some insight into the workings of the "youth of today" (I hate that phrase!) and given you something to think about, and maybe have brightened your day. The latter, perhaps, is a little optimistic, but I wish it all the same.
And yes, I did fall over in my heels... What did you expect?!
