I just wrote a youth rights version of a wonderful poster that www.northernsun.com has about women's liberation.
The women's liberation one states:
Because woman’s work is never done and is underpaid or unpaid or boring or repetitious and we’re the first to get fired and what we look like is more important than what we do and if we get raped it’s our fault and if we get beaten we must have provoked it and if we raise our voices we’re nagging bitches and if we enjoy sex we’re nymphos and if we don’t we’re frigid and if we love women it’s because we can’t get a “real” man and if we ask our doctor too many questions we’re neurotic and/or pushy and if we expect childcare we’re selfish and if we stand up for our rights we’re aggressive and “unfeminine” and if we don’t we’re typical weak females and if we want to get married we’re out to trap a man and if we don’t we’re unnatural and because we still can’t get an adequate safe contraceptive but man can walk on the moon and if we can’t cope or don’t want a pregnancy we’re made to feel guilty about abortion and… for lots and lots of other reasons we are part of the women’s liberation movement.


So here's my version, the youth rights poster:
Because children are seen and not heard and if we assert ourselves we’re talking back and if we don’t we’re trampled over and if we don’t do our chores we’re irresponsible and if we try to get paid work we’re too young and if we stay in school we’re dependent and if we try to leave school we’re labeled dropouts and if we complain we’re whiney and if we stand up for ourselves we don’t know how good we’ve got it and if we don’t do what we’re told we’re hit or yelled at and if we hit or yell back we’re incorrigible and if we run away we’re returned and if we skip school we’re breaking the law and if our parents can’t deal with us we’re imprisoned and if we bring property to school it’s “confiscated” and if we commit a crime we’re part of a horrible crime wave and if we try to get a bank account or an abortion or birth control or alcohol or a house or an apartment without our parents’ permission we’re breaking the law and if we express ourselves at school we’re expelled and if we speak out politically we’re adorable or ignored and if we try to take charge of our lives and our rights we’re patted on our heads and told to run along and play and… for lots and lots of other reasons we are part of the youth rights movement.

Here are several songs that I have written based on youth rights.

Don’t

Your eyes are looking in my direction but you don’t see me
You’re hearing every word I say but you’re not listening
Your mouth makes all the appropriate sounds but your mind is somewhere else

Don’t ignore me
I know you don’t care what I have to say
Don’t ignore me
Yeah it does matter to me anyway

Don’t you remember what it was to be told to sit still, to shut up?
Don’t you remember what it was to be told to look but don’t touch?
Don’t you remember what it was to be seen but not heard?
Don’t you remember what it was to be scorned, ignored, degraded?

Don’t ignore me
I don’t ignore you
Don’t ignore me
I’m a person too

Don’t ask questions if they don’t have the answers
Don’t give answers if they didn’t ask any questions

I am an echo in a vacuum
I am a shadow at midday
I am the end of eternity
I am the needle in the hay

I am the tree falling in the forest
When there’s no one else around
And I scream as I fall and I die
But I don’t make a sound

Don’t ignore me
I know you don’t care what I have to say
Don’t ignore me
Yeah it does matter to me anyway

How could you forget
Sit still, shut up?
How could you forget
Look, don’t touch?
How could you forget
Being seen but not heard?
How could you forget
Being scorned, ignored, degraded?

Forgetting like you did is one of my biggest fears
But how could you forget eighteen years?



Damned

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t
Damned if you will, damned if you won’t
Why’s the Man got it in for me?
I just want to be young, young and free.

I want to do what I want and don’t what I don’t
Don’t want the government saying No no no
I want to work, want to drive, want to go out and vote
I want to choose to drink or to light up a smoke

The law says I got to go to school (Damned if you do)
The law says I got to follow the rules (Damned if you don’t)
The law says I’ve got be what they want me to be (Damned if you will and damned if you won’t)
Where I can go, what movies I see (I just want to be young)
What I can wear- I just want to be me (Young and free)

Since when has birth been a crime?
Well I’m doing eighteen years’ time
Why does the Man have it in for me?
I just want to be young, young and free.

Damned if you do (where I can go)
Damned if you don’t (what movies I see)
Damned if you will (what I can wear)
Damned if you won’t (I just want to be me)
Just want to be young, young and free.

Where I can go, what movies I see (I just want to be young)
What I can wear- I just want to be me (Young and free)
Why’s the Man got it in for me? (I just want to be young)
I just want to be young, young and free (Young and free)
I just want to be young, young and free
I just want to be young, young and free




For Your Own Good

It's for your own good- It's not discrimination
We're just doing what we should To prevent your exploitation
It's for your own good- It's for your own protection
We're just doing what we should To stop your dereliction

'Cause if I could work I'd be enslaved
And if I could have sex you know I'd be raped
If I could watch what I want I'd end up perverted
If I could go where I would you know I'd be murdered

It's for your own good- It's not discrimination
We're just doing what we should To prevent your exploitation
It's for your own good- It's for your own protection
We're just doing what we should To stop your dereliction

'Cause if I didn't go to school I'd end up real dumb
And if I could live where I wanted I'd end up as a bum
If I lived on my own I'd end up getting banged
If I thought for myself I'd end up in a gang

It's for your own good- It's not discrimination
We're just doing what we should To prevent your exploitation
It's for your own good- It's for your own protection
We're just doing what we should To stop your dereliction

It's for our own good- It may be discrimination
We're just doing what we could To kill your expectations
It's for our own good- It's for our own protection
We're just doing what we could To destroy any objections



Walking- Curfew Version
Based off of Walking, by Patsy Cline

I go out walking
After midnight
Out in the moonlight
Just like we used to do
I'm always walking
After midnight
Breaking curfew

I walk for miles
Along the highway
Well that's just my way
Of saying I want to
Go out walking
After midnight
Breaking curfew

I stop to see a cop arresting
A passing teen pedestrian
Maybe she's protesting like me
It seems the First Amendment
Is no legal imped'ment
'Cause we don't have rights, you see

I go out walking
After midnight
Out in the starlight
Just hoping I don't see
A cop a-walking
After midnight
Searching for me

I stop to see a cop arresting
A passing teen pedestrian
Maybe she's protesting like me
It seems the First Amendment
Is no legal imped'ment
'Cause we don't have rights, you see

I go out walking
After midnight
Out in the starlight
Just hoping I don't see
A cop a-walking
After midnight
Searching for me