Skip to content Skip to footer

Comfort is the enemy: 3 reasons why you need to keep reinventing yourself

I can’t recall the specific day or moment I finally felt comfortable with who I was. Or when I “found myself,” as they say.

All I remember is how much easier life became to navigate and how the backing of my beliefs and experiences equipped me for handing life on my terms. It was great. It felt good.

We all find ourselves at different times. Some earlier than others and some much later than they should. However, when we do reach this level of peace within ourselves and we’re cocooned in the quilt of our own perspective, if we’re not intentional about transformation in the meanwhile, we’ll risk the chance of stunting our growth.

Growth Growing GIF by Insecure on HBO - Find & Share on GIPHY

I get it, adolescence was much too difficult and awkward to simply “change” once we’ve finally gotten comfortable with who we are. But that’s just it, comfort is the enemy.

Your “best,” that thing you’ve been told to strive for since grade school, will always be ahead of you. The the “best you” isn’t a destination, no matter how bad of a person you once were. A better version of yourself is always out there somewhere.

This is why reinvention is incredibly important. If you want to change, see out your heart’s desires and adapt to life’s spontaneity, you must learn how to reinvent yourself.

When we consistently challenge what we can do, we bring out the best in ourselves.

Your life can’t change if you don’t change

Don’t let pride stop you from relearning. If you spent your entire life in one ecosystem where everyone has the same cultural and societal backgrounds, of course your worldview will be cozy as a comforter.

That’s why it’s our responsibility to strive to grow — to want to challenge and hone our beliefs.

Super Bowl News GIF by Mic - Find & Share on GIPHY

A lot of times the opportunity for reinvention comes to us. We’ll find our tires spinning in place or we’ll find ourselves banging our heads against the same wall, and the entire time, all we had to do was change our habits.

If we don’t change anything, how do we expect our lives to change?


The art of being limitless

What’s so cool about reinventing who we are is that it doesn’t mean diminishing any other part of ourselves.

It’s not like you’ll lose your funny if you become a less self-destructive drunk or you’ll be less spontaneous if look up recipes instead of ordering in. Reinventing yourself, if anything, adds to what you already bring to the table.

https://giphy.com/gifs/becky-bradley-coopers-B5u4HnWSB1gKk

Look at Jamie Foxx, Donald Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Janelle Monáe, and plenty other versatile acts. Reinventing ourselves is all about adding to our repertoire, not abandoning who we once were.

Whether it’s a character trait, skill set, or profession, there does not have to be a limit to who you are or what you can do. Reinvention is about pushing yourself to mastery.


Life demands it

Probably the most important reason for mastering reinvention is that life demands it.

It can be a death in the family, a major injury, or any of the million other random things life tends to throws at us. Being able to adapt and change, even when it goes against the fabric of who we are, is pivotal to succeeding at life.

What’s the alternative? Resenting? Blaming the external factors that will never hear our cries?

Hugh Dancy The Path On Hulu GIF by HULU - Find & Share on GIPHY

When we learn to fall in love with the process of starting over and become accustomed to being humbled — two pillars in reinvention — we won’t waiver when life flips everything we know upside-down.

I challenge everyone who’s “found themselves,” who are in love with who they’ve become and who now have the ultimate confidence in the individual they see in the mirror, to go farther; to pick up something new, try and understand someone else or to get lost in another culture. Because what they’ll see is that they have a lot more to find.

BIG FACTS: Diddy goes off on state of hip-hop culture, says it’s ‘too diluted’

When it was announced that hip-hop surpassed rock as the most popular genre in the US in 2017, there weren’t any long faces. No complaints of overpopulation, no upward noses, or anything negative for that matter.

Here we are, less than a year later, and what was once seen as a feat has become a fear. Particularly for mogul billionaire and Bad Boy CEO, Sean “Puffy” Combs.

The 48-year-old Grammy-winner took to his Instagram today to give his unsolicited (though respected) take on the state of hip-hop today, stating it’s “too much” rapping right now and that he fears the genre is getting “diluted.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfuD0V0DWlV/?taken-by=diddy

It’s almost as if hip-hop’s eventual claim as the mot consumed genre was a tell sign to the number of artist that would flood the industry because of it.

There is truth to what Diddy is alluding to: you don’t want the standards lowering and the barrier of entry too accessible. Look at what happened to jazz music, the last thing you want is hip-hop being gentrified and watered down for mass consumption.

Diddy was vouching for integrity.

On the other hand, some of the most innovative and genre-bending music has come from the doors being as open as they are now. To evolve to what we have in a Young Thug or even a Young M.A., and to say we’ve gone backwards is just false.

Anyone can be an artist these days. The majority of our smartphones can produce an entire album. Instead of discouraging artists, ensure that they are putting out their best product.

If artists like Lil B and Riff Raff can still tour, then they have a place in rap. As long as we ensure that artist can get their product out to the people willing to listen to it, then the game is going to be alright.

Chicago congressional candidate lights one in campaign ad to promote legalization

Chicago politics are and have been very complicated for years. From the mob rigging elections to illegal voting districts, the city of wind’s political circuit has been notorious as long as the city has been around.

And this year’s election season is no different.

In what has to be a first for a running congressional candidate, Benjamin Thomas Wolf, who is running against incumbent Mike Quigley in the 5th District, released a photo ad on Monday featuring him sitting in front of an American flag painting while puffing a joint.

Wolf told the Sun Times,

“As a cannabis user, I think it’s important we get out front and talk about it. We realize that cannabis can bring billions of dollars to the state, it’s medicine for millions of people around the country, it changes criminal justice reform and personally I think it’s a wonderful recreational substance as well.”

The ad, which was released earlier this week, seems like pretty perfect timing as millions of voters in the state’s most populous county will be asked to decide for themselves whether Illinois should end cannabis prohibition.

Though nonbiding, because Cook county holds nearly half of the Illinois total population, a “yes” on the ballot question on March 20th could be the push needed to legalize the drug, which is currently being considered by state legislators.

The question reads:

“Shall the State of Illinois legalize the cultivation, manufacture, distribution, testing, and sale of marijuana and marijuana products for recreational use by adults 21 and older subject to state regulation, taxation and local ordinance?”

It’s a move that clearly appeals to the younger voters but also one that shows the growing acceptance of the plant. Wolf is incredibly open about smoking, telling the Sun Times the joint was left over from poker night with his campaign staff.

It may just work for the part restaurant owner and college professor. In November, when Illinoisans are asked whether they support legalizing recreational marijuana in a referendum, Wolf sitting down smoking a joint will be hard to forget.

The congressional hopeful also proposes to spend all the state revenue from the drug on public education and drug rehabilitation centers, as well as pardoning all those incarcerated for marijuana-related offenses. 

Only time will tell how well he does.

How DeMar DeRozan is publicly fighting his depression to help others

DeMar DeRozan is an elite player in possibly the most competitive skilled sports league today. He’s averaging 23.8 pts and five assists per game, leading his Toronto Raptors to the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

Yet, despite being the the number seed in his conference, averaging career highs, and being an MVP candidate, DeMar DeRozan suffers depression and anxiety.

“It’s one of them things that no matter how indestructible we look like we are, we’re all human at the end of the day,” DeRozan told Doug Smith of The Toronto Star In an interview with that ran Sunday. “We all got feelings…all of that. Sometimes…it gets the best of you, where times everything in the whole world’s on top of you.”

DeRozan hinted towards these feelings on Twitter earlier this month.

It is estimated that up to 15% of the adult population will experience depression at some point in their lifetime and there are 350 million people worldwide who currently suffer from depression.

Yet, even with stats as encompassing as these, it’s still surprising that someone with DeRozan’s success could feel that way, right? Not according to the man himself.

“I’ve always been like that since I was young, but I think that’s where my demeanor comes from,” DeRozan said. “I’m so quiet, if you don’t know me. I stay standoffish in a sense, in my own personal space, to be able to cope with whatever it is you’ve got to cope with.”

What appears as someone who’s laid back and reserved, is really an individual engaged in an internal battle.

Cases like DeRozan’s should remind us that anyone could be suffering no matter how their life appears on the outside. Thankfully, we have resources like Mental Health America that takes screenings, offers support programs, and offers help when any depressive traits surface.

“This is real stuff,” DeRozan said. “We’re all human at the end of the day. That’s why I look at every person I encounter the same way. I don’t care who you are. You can be the smallest person off the street or you could be the biggest person in the world, I’m going to treat everybody the same, with respect.

“…I had friends that I thought was perfectly fine, next thing you know they’re a drug addict and can’t remember yesterday…I never had a drink in my life because I grew up seeing so many people drinking their life away to suppress the (troubles) they were going through, you know what I mean?”

It’s imperative that we look after our mental health. Because mental stresses aren’t as tangible as a cold or a broken bone, the ailment is usually dismissed and swept under the rug. On top of that, there’s a negative stigma around depression and those suffering from it.

That’s why it’s brave for DeRozan to make his struggle public.

At the end of the day, you never know what someone is going through. That fact alone should encourage us to handle every human interaction delicately.

Kevin Durant is donating $10 million to create future CEOs in PG County

Kevin Durant may be a snake in the minds of many NBA fans after having gone to the team he barely lost to in the Western Conference finals some years ago, but to his hometown of Seat Pleasant, the area where he grew up, he’s a hero.

The NBA champion has committed $10 million and partnered with public schools in Prince George’s County, Maryland on a program called College Track to provide resources and outlets for underprivileged kids to reach their maximum potential.

Durant told the Post of his childhood,

“We didn’t have the resources to get our minds thinking about the next level. I want to do my part, whatever it is. If College Track students want to be the next Steve Jobs or the next influencer or the next tastemakers, they can get there.

College Track is a 10-year program that provides fundamental resources like tutoring, test preparation, picking the right college and how to get financial aid, that kids from less-advantaged families often don’t have.

Created more than 20 years ago in California by Powell Jobs and others, College Track helps disadvantaged kids  attend college and get launched into life.

The idea to bring the program to his hometown and to make such a significant investment came when Durant meet Powell at a Silicon Valley technology conference in the Bay Area in January on 2017.

Wanting to show them [the youth] the experiences he went through and what he’s seen, was important to Durant. He feels that’s all it takes to get more kids in the right direction. Only 21 percent of first-generation, low-income students graduate from college. And Durant plans on using the College Track program too change that.

There are nine College Track’s across California, Colorado and Louisiana have helped 3,000 students get to college and beyond. The Durant Center will be the first of three facilities planned for the Washington area with plans two more in the District by 2021.

“College Track recruits students from underserved communities and works continuously with them from the summer before ninth grade through college graduation,” the program’s website explains.

“Our ten-year program removes the barriers that prevent students from earning their college degree by providing them with comprehensive academic support, leadership training, financial and college advising, and scholarships. We teach our students the skills necessary to succeed in college and beyond.”

Four hundred Track students have graduated from college so far, and that number is on pace to reach 496 this year. Opportunities just like the one Durant is providing is why athletes should never just ‘shut up and dribble’.

The future of the DMV is brighter than ever and surely will start inspire other low-income cities across the country to follow such implementations.

Oh word? Blac Youngsta is giving away a (fake) big booty to a lucky lady

When it comes to album roll-outs, artists have come up with all types of creative marketing schemes.

When Yeezus dropped, Kanye debuted the lead single “New Slaves” on buildings across NYC. Similarly, when Jay-Z’s 4:44 album came out, billboards with nothing but ‘4:44’ plastered on them popped up in across New York, providing no context, just stoking interest.

Blac Yongsta is a little different. He’s having a big booty give away. Yes, he’s literally paying for butt surgery for one lucky winner. In a collaborative effort with Dr. Miami, Blac Youngsta is offering a free booty to the lady with the best twerking video.

In an interview on Power 105.1’s The Breakfast Club, Youngsta goes into detail about the giveaway saying it was something that he had always wanted to do, and now that he has the song “Booty” he feels time is opportune.

“I really want to uplift somebody’s spirit,” Black Youngsta said. “Some people still feel insecure about themselves. I look at it like, if you still feel insecure about yourself… I want to help you,” he added.

“Booty” has been more successful than Blac Youngsta could have hoped for. The smash hit has become the unofficial strip club anthem and has been an incredible driving force for his debut studio album 223, which dropped today and the booty giveaway is adding to the interest.

To win the contest, you have to post a video twerking to his single “Booty”, write in why you need a new ass, tag the right people involved, and be medically cleared. The winner will be announced March 2nd.

Between his Instagram antics, personality, and the big booty giveaway, maybe Kanye and Jay should get their marketing techniques from Blac.

His new album features the likes of Travis Scott, Lil Yachty, French Montana, and a host of others and already has success with the “Booty” and “Hip Hopper”. Now, with women all over dancing to his album, I’m sure he’s going to receive more press than he would have otherwise.

All I know is that I’m interested in seeing who wins, as well as who enters to win.

Why Trump’s proposal to arm teachers jeopardizes Black students’ lives

This past Tuesday, in an hour-long meeting with the gun violence survivors of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Trump made headlines when he suggested that armed teachers would have made a difference following the Feb 14th mass shooting in Florida.

As you can imagine, the President received a lot of blowback. So, Trump took to Twitter to clarify his statements, saying he only meant those who have experience with a weapon… or something.

However, yesterday (Friday 22nd) at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) , Trump doubled down on his stance. This time, however, his words stuck and lingered more heavily.

“A teacher would have shot the hell out of” the gunman if the school permitted concealed carry, he said.

Not only does giving teachers guns align with NRA’s Executive Director and CEO Wayne LaPierre who, only a week after the deadly school shooting in Florida, criticized teaching in schools and claimed “gun-free zones” are easy targets for shooters, but raises a much larger issue: the safety of Black students.

Police officers are the other public employees armed at the behest of the state and we’ve seen how well that has been for African-Americans. We’re talking highly trained officers who are supposed to protect and serve. Yet, police kill Blacks at  disproportionate rates.

If trained armed professionals claim “fear” of their lives in these incidents with unarmed Blacks, imagine then, how the teachers will react whenever fear is invoked at their school.

Not all schools are the same. A lot these schools, especially public ones, have troubled youth who need patience and an ear, not a teacher who wants to play hero.

Asking underpaid teachers who are not even equipped with the proper resources to fulfill their curriculum to take on the responsibly of making life or death split decisions in a country as racist as America, is jut asking for more slain Black lives.

Wayne LaPierre’s whole ‘”the only thing to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun” rhetoric is not applicable in a classroom full of children. The access to these guns in the first place has to be addressed on some degree, not implementing more guns.

Furthermore, what kind of guns are we expecting to equip teachers with? These mass shooting aren’t done by handguns. Does the President propose the gym teacher walk around with an AR-15 strapped on his chest during cardio lessons?

While Trump does bump heads with the NRA on raising the purchasing age of an assault riffle from 18 to 21 and insists that he isn’t referring to teachers, but only those who are “gun-adept” — which Trump says could be 10 or 20 percent of teachers — his solutions are dangerous to millions of Black students out there who are targets simply because of their skin tone.

Only time will tell what measures are going to be taken to make a difference, let’s just hope it’s not at the expense of precious Black lives.

Hollywood’s Black renaissance and why the glass ceiling is barely cracked

Hollywood is currently in the midst of a Black renaissance.

The overwhelming success of Marvel’s Black Panther has set a new precedent for Black films and highlights what has been gradual fight for representation for all people of color in film.

Black Panther had the biggest opening weekend for a Black director and is the highest-grossing movie (in North America) directed by a Black filmmaker in history. It’s the first major motion film with a majority Black cast, it’s based on an African nation that’s insulated, un-colonized and technologically advanced, and even the soundtrack was produced by a Black label in Top Dawg Entertainment.

BP also disproves the notion that Blacks can’t carry a big film or that their story isn’t relatable enough to garner international attention. In its four day debut, Black Panther pulled in a staggering $241.9m domestically and $169 million abroad (and that’s without debuting in some of the biggest global markets, like China, Japan, and Russia).

Black Panther is easily the biggest, Blackest movie off all-time.

black-renaissance-kulture-hub

But Black Panther’s success is just the latest peak of what has been a surge of successful Black films and television shows over the past couple of years. It’s the cherry on top, the sucker punch, and closing argument to Black’s cry for representation, access, and entry for the same opportunities white actors have been getting for decades.

Jordan Peele’s Get Out (2017) was the highest-grossing original debut ever, Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight (2016) became the smallest budget production — accounting for inflation — to ever receive best picture at the Academy Awards.

Original, Black shows that tell true, Black stories are infiltrating television, too. Issa Rae’s Insecure was renewed for a third season on HBO and Donald Glover’s Atlanta, which plays snippets of Migos’s and other rap favorites throughout the show on network television of all places, is shooting its second season.

black-renaissance-kulture-hub
Photo Credit: FX

That doesn’t include Shonda Rhimes, who is dominating with the trifecta of Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy and How to get Away with Murder (two of which have Black women as leads).

For an industry that has cast Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra, John Wayne as Genghis Khan, Jake Gyllenhaal as the Prince of Persia, Johnny Depp as Tonto (a Native American) in The Lone Ranger (2013) and tried to cast some white dude as Michael Jackson, it’s safe to say that we’re slowly turning a leaf.

Hollywood’s front door is finally beginning to sliver open for Blacks, but it’s important to remember that it’s just that — a sliver. The glass ceiling is far from being broken through. In fact, there’s barely been a crack.

For perspective, think about how far women have had to come and still have to go.

In 1980, the Bechdel test was developed to determine whether women were adequately represented in film. To pass the test was simple: two women had to talk to each other on screen about something other than a man.

Imagine that — being so ignorant to the void of women in film that a test to measure gender inequality was created. There’s still work to do though, there’s been more inclusion, more (white) women on screen talk to other (white) women and (white) women with leads.

Considering this, think how tough it is for Blacks, and imagine how much tougher for Black women.

An average of 75.2 percent of speaking roles already go to white actors, according to the 2014 University of Southern California study “Inequality in 700 Popular Films,” some of those parts are actually characters of color. And the films that have done well and that do cast Black actors, usually are the same roles.

With 12 Years a Slave, and 2015’s Selma — the last pictures nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards before Moonlight — it seemed as if Hollywood was only okay seeing Blacks cast in a certain light.

And while Black Panther is somewhat of a breakthrough, the metaphorical ceiling won’t truly be broken until Blacks consistently land leads for a multi-cultural major motion films, not just a film where everyone is Black.

There is an undeniable movement in Hollywood for Blacks that shouldn’t be ignored. Companies, like Macro for example, have been working to attract the right attention so that more Ryan Coogler’s and Ava Duvernay’s can exist, thrive and have a seat at the table.

charles-king-macro-kulture-hub
Photo Credit: Variety

Established around three years ago by former big name Hollywood agent, Charles D. King, Macro has made an intention to occupy the television, film, and even publication space, so that the Black voice can be heard. It’s why we’ve gotten a Mudbound (2017) and sites like Blavity, which cater to the black millennial voice.

For the first time in a long time, Black people can look at a screen and see themselves as a superhero, successful lawyer, a compassionate gay men or woman, and many other different complex ways that show actual people.

On the same token, however, it is important that we know there is still work to do.

As we celebrate Black Panther’s success, let’s hope this groundbreaking moment goes far beyond sales, and continues to chip away at the ceiling that has cast a shadow over Hollywood.

After dubbing White House invite, Warriors plan on spending time with local D.C. kids

Depending on who you ask, the 2017-2018 NBA champion Golden State Warriors either weren’t given an invitation to White House or chose not to go.

It’s President Trump’s word versus Stephen Curry’s… so we all know how it really went down.

With the time in D.C. still allotted, there was an opportunity for the Warriors to use it how that saw fit. Today, we learned what exactly they plan to do.

According to a new ESPN report from Chris Haynes and Ramona Shelburne, the team is planning on spending some time on “a private tour of an undisclosed locale” with local children instead.

The decision to visit the nation’s capital came after Mayor Muriel Bowser and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi — both Democrats — urged them to come to D.C. despite not attending the White House.

Head coach Steve Kerr put the decision in the players hands who collectively decided on the mystery tour with kids and mandated that there be no media allowed.

Kerr told ESPN:

“It’s their championship. They got disinvited to the White House, so it’s up to them what they wanted to do. So, they made their plans. I want the players to have a good day and to do something positive and to enjoy what they’re doing.”

While details remain murky, one could gather that DMV native Kevin Durant has a few spots in mind. The former MVP, whose foundation plants basketball courts around the world, has two in Seat Pleasant, MD.

The secrecy and covertness of the trip is simply to avoid politics according to Warriors forward, Draymond Green. He tells ESPN:

“At the end of the day, it’s about us celebrating a championship, so there’s no point in getting into the political stuff and all that. It’s about something we did great. Why make it about [politics]?”

Political or not, it makes a statement for one of the most popular leagues in the country to skip a visit to the White House. It speaks to the type of leadership we have and the attitudes shared by a collective whole.

Curry told reporters that he hoped his decision to decline the traditional invitation would inspire some change in the behavior of the Trump administration.

“By not going, hopefully, it will inspire some change for what we tolerate in this country and what we stand for, what is accepted and what we turn a blind eye toward,” he said.

Only time will tell. Until then, they’re going to make some kids very happy.

SMH: ‘David Hogg is a paid actor’ conspiracy being promoted by YouTube and Facebook

Following February 14th’s (2018)  mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida there was an unquenchable rage all over the country.

Across America, parents, teachers, students — everyone, really — searched for some type of scapegoat, resolve, or remedy to quell the shock of 17 beloved faculty members and students murdered in cold blood.

Naturally, a call for gun control ensued. The logic is linear and the facts plain. It does not take a law degree or years of experience in policy to determine an immediate fix. So students responded.

First, directly after the shootings in interviews from their local media, and later with marches to their city halls as well as a petition to congress. And although Florida lawmakers rejected the bill to ban assault rifles days after school shooting, the mission waged on as students across America are rising up to say enough is enough.

Yet, despite being in the midst of an emotional trauma truly impossible to even begin processing, these children, who are survivors of gun violence and who’ve witnessed their classmates’ lives taken literally before their very eyes, are being used as political chess pieces by conspiracy theorists and right-winged pundits to silence their grief.

And idiots are believing them.

Though later removed after several news stories and tweets about it started to spread, YouTube’s number one trending video this morning was a conspiracy video suggesting that David Hogg, one of the survivors from the Parkland shooting, is a crisis actor. The video garnered more than 200,000 views at the time before it was deleted.

In a statement to VICE’s Motherboard, YouTube explained that they should have never promoted the video and that it was “misclassified” due to the news sources in the original video.

“This video should never have appeared in Trending. Because the video contained footage from an authoritative news source, our system misclassified it. As soon as we became aware of the video, we removed it from Trending and from YouTube for violating our policies. We are working to improve our systems moving forward.”

youtube trending florida shooting conspiracy

Here’s the video on CBS’s YouTube page, and Hogg’s original upload.

As Hogg explained to CNN, his family moved from California to Florida some time ago and he joined Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School for its TV production program. The video was from when he visited friends.

Yes, Hogg has gone viral on two different news programs on the opposite sides of the country for different reasons in consecutive years, but that does not mean he is a hired hand. Extremists saw an opportunity that landed in their laps and they ran with it.

Searching for Hogg’s name on YouTube also brought up a large number of conspiracy videos as the top results.
david-hogg-kulture-hub

The since deleted video shows Hogg in a CBS 2 Los Angeles news report with the stand alone description “DAVID HOGG THE ACTOR….” Although the footage was nothing more than Hogg and his friend arguing with a lifeguard, the fact that he’s been making several news appearances over the past few days calling for gun control and the fact that the video went viral in 2017, makes it convenient to believe… apparently.

There are several different wrongs at play here.

YouTube and Facebook must have a stronger vetting process when it comes to promoting these viral videos with that lack credibility. The same went for the 2017 presidential election. Ads and content spearheaded by algorithms, pushed divisive propaganda without any validity. These are the same kind of algorithms that helped the alt-right organize and travel to Virginia.

Lastly, it’s our responsibility as consumers of the news to be aware of what we’re reading and sharing. It’s our responsibility to to cross-reference the facts we come across, whether by other news sources or with the ample amount of information that is ready available at our fingertips, and to make judgment calls only after reaching a solid conclusion. Spreading lies is dangerous, irresponsible, and, in this case particularly, disgusting.

There are children dead. But instead of accepting the pain and outrage that comes from such a loss, some are choosing to believe an absurd idea that protects policies that their party says are nonnegotiable. These teenagers are not crisis actors paid by liberal mega-donors, they are kids who just witnessed an unthinkable atrocity and using their situation to advocate change.

You’d have to be an idiot to believe these conspiracies. But then again, we’re led by one.