This is an edited version of the speech Elijah Kreiss, one of the organizers of the Truckee protests, gave at an April 19 protest.
I used to love reading books about World War II. I was always enthralled by the scale of bravery and unity that it took for so many people to resist Hitler’s Third Reich. With no certain future, millions of people chose to band together, following only their genuine natural instincts for justice to guide them.
In only the last few months, President Trump has attacked judges, defied the ruling of a unanimous Supreme Court decision, destroyed many foreign relationships with our allies, and opened our national forests up to logging and resource-leeching operations. And currently he’s in the process of opening two more concentration camps for American and American-immigrant citizens in El Salvador.
Aren’t your genuine natural instincts telling you to do something about that right now?
I would read those books about World War II and wonder if someday, in some fictional place in my mind, I would face a similar decision as millions of Europeans had to make 86 years ago. Would I end up on the right side of history?
But now, just like you, I need not wait a moment longer.
This is our moment.
This is America’s time to follow our instincts and rise against those who wish to oppress us. This is our moment to resist.
We’ve done this before. In fact, 250 years ago, the first shots of the American Revolutionary War were fired as we liberated ourselves from a tyrannical king and the imperial rule of an un-American dictatorship.
Once again, this is our chance to demonstrate to the world what we still truly believe in and remind them that the real America will always prevail, no matter the circumstances.
It’s true that we are fighting an uphill battle. The billionaire oligarchs have stuck their meddling hands into every level of our government, and many of our elected representatives are not doing the job we hired them to do. It is time for the people to start making the decisions. We can no longer entrust our most delicate choices to those who have a vested interest in keeping us struggling for affordable healthcare, adequate housing, nutritious food, and a comprehensive education.
A new leadership is forming. A leadership that does not beg for permission from the powerful, but instead draws its strength from the people. A leadership that listens not to its lobbyists and high level donors, but to the voices of students, workers, immigrants, and educators who make this country great.
We are that leadership. Every one of us who speaks out and stands up. Every one of you who points out injustice and believes that we can be the architects of our own future. Because we know that this is about much more than tearing down the old. It’s about building a future that will be viable for all of us now, and for future generations to come.
You don’t need to wait until you have a title or a seat at one of their tables. Because real power does not come from titles, it comes from truth. It comes from unity, and it will come from people like all of you.
This is our moment, our moment to fight back, our moment to make real change happen, our moment to resist.
In this town, in this state, and across this great nation, people are rising, ready to fight for what they believe in. We will not be silent, we will not be small, we will not cower. Will we stand arms together. From city streets across America to the halls of Congress, we will rise as one. Because justice is not a gift and freedom is not a favor. They are rights, and we will fight for them with every ounce of strength we have.
We will continue to fight until we live in a nation that we are proud of.
~ Elijah Kreiss is a Truckee High School senior with a strong passion for the outdoors, enjoying activities like backpacking, hiking, rock climbing, and spending time at the river. He is active in many clubs and organizations at school and is dedicated to political activism and community building efforts.
