My friends and I walk around sometimes just to hang out. We go into this one little convenience store a lot, and the people always watch us. I can't figure out why, except that we're teenagers. One time, my friend pointed out another girl in the store (who we didn't know) and said she just saw the girl steal a pack of gum. I guess they figure that all teens are like that. Another time, I was with two other friends, and one of them took a box (which belonged to her) out of her pocket in order to get her money out. She put the box on the shelf, got out some change, and then put it back in her pocket. When she went to the register to pay for her purchase, the man accused her of stealing and made her empty out her pockets.

Hey... I'm not a freak or a punk or gothic or whatever.... well, maybe I am. You decide. I wear baggy blue jeans, almost always a red shirt (A guy in the city one over from mine shot at me... I guess there's a Red Davison gang and he wasn't in it...), especially one that bears the name of my favorite band: Linkin Park. I am really tall, not only for my age but for any age.(6'2", 13 years old.) I have natural blonde spiked hair which is often dyed (Temporarily) red or blue, either the whole top or just at the tips. Some snub me because of the way I look, but people who know me know I'm not as bad as some other kids who give people who dress and look like me a bad name. I tipped my hair red, white, and blue for Sept. 11, using my temporary dye and liquid paper/white-out. Even though some of the cheerleaders ignore me (Unless they're out of money... JT always seems to have money) I always know that it's just the way I look, not who I am, that they seem to hate.

Adults actually aren't that predjudice. They only act that way probably because they don't want to take the chance that some teens are going to do something bad. I mean, if you were an adult and heard all the news about what some teenagers do, then you would probably feel the same way. Adults can be just as bad but a lot of them just fear that we may do something better then they could. Many of the older adults at my synagogge don't like the teens there but they have trust in me because they have known me since I have been little and know that I like to help.

As a teenager the best thing to do is just be yourself. Their are gonna be people who make fun of you but if you can get through it and just hang on to your own values, interests, and basically your personality then you're what doing what's right for you.

and in one of my textbooks for one of the classes it says that generations before each generation can never understand another generation and their experiences and how they handled problems. u know how when your parents yell at your for something and u tell them that they don't know or don't understand what u are going through, in reality they really don't cause our generation is having to go thru much different and worse situations than they had to when they were our age. adults do need sum education on that one cause i hate seeing a parent call their child stupid just cause they don't understand or don't want to understand their kids problems! it's sad

i know when u hurt so badly because u are different but as soon as u accept your differences and enjoy them then someone comes along and put u down and try to say your a disgrace cause your unique. parents are very terrible when it comes to this...they tell u when u are little that u r unique and that u should enjoy it but as soon as u get older and start presenting your uniqueness and differences then they wanna hate on you! i've had this happen every since birth. i'm gay and i have cousins and friends that are but my mom says she don't want them by or in her house. it hurts to know thiat she feels that way seeming she's a "Christian". my best friend who is also da "Christian" went back and told my mother many times that i was sleeping with many females (even though i'm still a virgin) it's like i get hurt all the time cause i love unique people but i was raised around some that want to destroy those feelings i have for others...i don't like prejudiceness...i hate that i have a mom that is one...she hats gay so that means she hates me! i been hated her, i guess dat ain't gunna change...i hate her for her thoughts, not for who she is! love u guys n thanks for listenin bye

I think that abstinence needs to continue being taught in schools. The goal is to reduce the occurrences of unwanted pregnancies and STDs,and abstinence is the only way to be absolutely protected. Birth control can fail. Plus, teens need to be encouraged, and know that it is possible, to wait a few years before having sex, when they can make a more responsible decision about whom they want to be with, and when. I'm 18 and I'm still waiting, and I'm glad that I have.

It really is hard. Everyone has the story to tell about the time they went shopping and the lady working their kept following you around because she thought you were shoplifting... It never ends, does it?

it's so stupid!i dress in pratically all black and"different"clothes and people assume im a satanist.once a 'christian'man came up to me handed me a bible and said"it's not to late to turn back,god will always take you in"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! for one,im christian i attend church.another that was so discriminate...jerk!we should learn to love and accept all no matter how they dress so get to know some one before you judge them!

I seen how adults think of a kid that they are bad becasuse of thier appearnace. Hey we are the future. People need to stop seeing our outside but our inside!
Peace out
Haintso

The prejudice does need to stop. I think it all comes from stereotypes. Adults sayng, teens are always starting trouble, they cause the car accidents, they're all having sex on the downlow like that, but i know thats all bull. Just because you see someone who "happens" to be a teenager rob a store or end up in jail doesnt' mean that all teens are that way. What about the adults who do such thngs and end up in jail? Everyone makes mistakes, and i think another reason why adults may look at teens that way is because we're just growing up, just experienceng things, and yeah we're going to make mistakes sometimes but thats what builds us up and teaches us how to be responsible adults.

Though i feel sex education in the school is essential and can help, (a few), i still find it useless. I have taken it and many others, and not much is changing from what teens today decide to do. They act as if it really wasnt taught to them. If you got some real teens who really know the signifance of safe sex, they're going o change. Other than that, all the students probably get out of it is how you get pregnant. So, i encourage it to continue, but it has to be enforced someway cause right now i dont see the change happening.

I agree with prettynconceit. The way you dress,the way you have your hair and music all are self expressions that describe who you are and your personality.Not to mention music can also describe your mood.

Ok bout that subject: I hate how some adults think that all we teenagers care bout is sex and gettin high! While they may be true 4 some,lots of other people that i hang out wit dont think that way!! Aight i wanna clear this up, i consider my self a punk, i love punk rock music[Sum41, Avril Lavigne...]But i dont show that im punk through my piercings or my dyed hair, b/c well i dont have any and it isnt!! [My mother wont let me] But anywaz ive been pushed to show it in other ways, like my clothes and my posters, and well my attitude! I like live by the song Fat Lip "become another victim of your conformity" that is 1 reason y i consider myself punk! I jus dont go along wit any1 else! I make my own decisions and and have my own beleifs!!But anywaz i HATE how adults discrimintate mostly against us, while i never throw this word around, preps just slide by cuz they bound 4 Harvard!! Now dont get me wrong, i have a few, actually quite a bit, of friends that will probably be considered preppy next year in high school, but its not like im gonna stop hangin round them jus cuz there different than me!! I look inside a person 2 judge them, not by what clique they seem 2 fit in!!

It's always hard to stop things that are so big and have been rolling along for so long. However, we can ALWAYS come together, all races, creeds, religions, whatever, and TRY. Work and work for it.

that they way you dress expresses who you are and no one can change that. And making fun of people is just plain wrong because every single one of us know that we hate it when it happens to us. I mean you can't change a person at all, they have to change themself.

Sometimes, adults won't listen to you or value your opinion just beacause of your age.

I don't think it's right to judge someone by their age, but rather on their personality. I mean, a 12 year old girl could be just as smart as the 36 year old idiot sitting next to her, but because of her age no one values her opinion.

Does that sound right to you?

Just a lil note to Punkguy-- You have some good points, but when you say that teenagers don't want to learn about politics, you are proving one of the points of adults--that teenagers want to be ignorant..i know i don't, my friends and i are all "punks" but we're one of the more socially conscious groups of our school..we're interested in politics, and why the hell shouldn't we learn table manners? haha the old people wouldn't know what to think if we walked in with baggy pants, blue hair, and like millions of f*ck bracelets around our wrists--and knew which fork to use...alright thats the end of my rant for now... ~alex

I think that if we do not look or act or maybe even sound like everybody else than to everybody else we are way to different to fit in which I think is rediculos! We are all different in our own ways and it is not our foult if we like or listen to different stuff. But the keyword here is different, nobody these days likes different. Which is wrong, way wrong!!!

It isn't just some, I think that it is most. I am a good teen and so are most of you because you care about your future. However, Most teens don't care and they have the "live for today and go with the flow" mentality. When you grow up you will understand that you have to think about your future in order for you to have any hope. I have learned this at a young age, most teens haven't though and adults know this. That is why they are "predjudice". I think that you need to just deal with it and grow up. It is immature to go around complaining all of the time just because things aren't going your way. Once you grow up and deal with it life will be a lot better. Whae you are an adult you will learn that you don't always have the time to "get to know people" and that you have to make judgements. It is all part of life. The trick is to show people that they are wrong and act mature and lawful always. If you do this people will seperate YOU from the rest of the "bad" teenagers.


"Freedom is not Free"-Korean War Memorial, Washington DC.