Letter: Teens, pay attention to events in Paris
People place candles to pay tribute to the victims of the terror attacks in Paris by a poster which reads "Solidarity with Paris" in Nice, southeastern France, Monday, Nov. 16, 2015. Credit: AP / Lionel Cironneau
I want all teenagers like me to reflect on what a huge moment the violence in Paris represents in our lives ["Striking back," News, Nov. 16]. I'm a 16-year-old junior at Northport High School. My peers and I are the first generation to feel the effects of, but to not remember, the events of 9/11.
Young Americans, especially young New Yorkers, feel for Paris. For the second time in memory, details of a West-hitting terrorist attack were reaching us in real time via the Internet. I am begging young people who see this to remember these horrendous days and learn.
Use the resources at your fingertips: newspapers, television, blogs, Twitter, anything you can get your hands on. Learn about the Islamic State, what it's doing and how different governments are reacting to this threat. Form your own opinions. Be connected with the world around you, because if you start now, your life will forever be better for it.
We have to face the fact that someday, we will be in charge. Will we sit by and let others tell us what's going on in the world then, too? Take Paris and make it your wake-up call. Rally together with knowledge of world affairs as your weapon and empathy as your guide.
Ceylan Swenson, East Northport
