Image by Johnny Silvercloud (License CC BY-SA 2.0)
Snowflakes. That’s what they call us now. In any given day, with just a quick browse through social media, someone has been referred to as a snowflake at least a dozen times. And that’s just at a glance. So, what is a snowflake exactly?
According to the dictionary, it’s a “flake of snow, especially a feathery ice crystal, displaying six fold symmetry.” As an insult it is supposed to “encompass not just the young but liberals of all ages; it became the epithet of choice for right-wingers to fling at anyone who could be accused of being too easily offended, too in need of “safe spaces,” too fragile.” In their opinion, we’re weak, whiny, and useless. But to someone like me, being a snowflake means so much more.
Being a snowflake means that you’re standing up against the utter uproar of a shit storm that is our country and our politics these days. Being a snowflake means you want nothing more than to see EVERY human being in this country and on this earth have the same basic human rights as everyone else. It means you’re getting really fucking tired of watching the news, only to see people shot and killed for the color of their skin.
“Now, insults are going to happen. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been called a “libtard” or a “lazy millennial.” I’ve been called a redneck and a hick. I’ve been called worse than that more than once. I don’t take it to heart anymore.”
You’re beyond over watching your friends fight tooth and nail, just to marry the person they love, and then someone arbitrarily telling them that their love is not the same or as valuable as the rest of ours just because they happen to have been born with the same genitalia. You’re sick of having to fight for rights to your own body simply because you’re a woman.
Your opinions don’t matter, your body doesn’t matter, and you’re not even worthy of an equal wage. You’re tired of walking down the street at dark, terrified, because someone thinks they’re more entitled to your body, your very skin, than you are.
As a snowflake your heart aches for the thousands that are facing losing their healthcare with nothing to replace it. Your stomach is sick at the thought of all the refugees with nowhere to go, their children confused and scared, fleeing a country that we’re shooting missiles at. And you’re damn right we’re fucking fed up with drowning in student debt, only to work unpaid internships and laughable minimum wage jobs; trying to keep our heads above water in this economy that the “not-millennials” so kindly threw down the fucking toilet for us.
We’re the ones participating in women’s marches across the country. We’re the ones celebrating pride month with parades, and wearing out that Facebook pride reaction for as long as we can. We’re the ones building and shaping our children to love and respect human beings— ALL human beings. We’re raising our children to be warriors for those who need a voice. We’re fund-raising for Planned Parenthood and protesting the bullshit at every given opportunity. We’re raising our voices when we see our “president” committing treason in broad daylight, only to have it brushed under the rug and defended with some sort of ridiculous excuse.
We’re throwing a fit when we see that his inept, unqualified daughter is sitting in for him at the G20 summit meeting; something that the Republicans would have crucified Obama for if he had done it. We’re tired of watching our “president” play golf. We’re gathering at airports, and clinics and government buildings, and in the damn streets if we have to, because we’re pissed. We’re tired, we’re fed up, and we’re fucking angry.
Now, insults are going to happen. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been called a “libtard” or a “lazy millennial.” I’ve been called a redneck and a hick. I’ve been called worse than that more than once. I don’t take it to heart anymore. And while snowflake never really offended me on a personal level any more so than all the others did, I have to say it did stump me a bit. I had to wonder— have these people ever spent much time around snow before? Because I have.
Kentucky is a strange state when it comes to our weather. We like to say that we get the best of both worlds. We’re far enough south that our summers are sweltering at times, but our winters can be mean with snow and ice for months. Snow and ice that knocks out power and shuts down all the major roadways. Snow that has people running to the store in a panic to buy milk, bread, and eggs. Snow that shuts down schools and businesses for days or even weeks at a time. Snow that has you hiding in your house, afraid or even unable to go out, hoping that it ends soon, because you’re running out of food and heat. Snow that all started with a few snowflakes falling from the sky.
So, if snowflake is the new insult these days, I’ll take that. I’ll be a snowflake, and I’ll be a proud one. Because one snowflake, all on its own, is fairly powerless. It can give its best shot, but once it hits the warm pavement all alone, it’s doomed to melt. But have you ever seen what hundreds of thousands of snowflakes can do together? You get a fucking snowstorm.
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Andrea is a freelance writer based out of Kentucky. She is the mother to a 3 year old little girl and step-mother to a 6 year old boy. She’s been married to her husband and best friend for 5 years. She enjoys fishing, camping, hiking and the occasional glass of wine by a bonfire.