ArcaMax

You know that line from "The Avengers," where Bruce Banner turns to Captain America and says, "That's my secret, Cap: I'm always angry"? I've been thinking about that a lot lately. Because I think that's where the youth are now. And as a middle-aged youth, that's where I still am, too.

After a youth shooting, our city is about to have a series of youth town halls. Leadership and nonprofits want to "hear what the youth has to say," wants to "let the youth lead." I've heard that before. It's as if the adults haven't invited my generation here before, haven't smiled and nodded, and then gone right back to business as usual.

And still do. I'm looking at you, Chuck Schumer ... who has been in office since before I was born.

(I turn 41 this year.)

But I'm sensing something different now. I watched a mock city council meeting with high schoolers a few months ago. Their "solutions" weren't dreamy or idealistic. They didn't talk about more community events or kindness campaigns. They said things like: Fine them. Put them in jail. Shut it down.

It wasn't just inexperienced youth; it was pain.

They're not just disappointed. They're done. They are fed up with gun violence, with climate disasters, with racial injustice, with a political system that seems designed to exhaust, not empower. They've been handed a world on fire and asked to say thank you. And the answer coming back is no longer polite.

It's rage.

And I get it. Because I used to be the "youth voice" in rooms like this, too. We thought we could shift the world with earnest panels and policy suggestions. We thought if we just made our case clear enough, someone would hear us.

But the needle barely moved.

Now I'm older, still showing up, still trying, and still angry. That's my secret. I never stopped being angry. I just learned to hide it better. When I hear the younger generations speak with fury, with hopelessness, I don't recoil. I relate. And I worry for them, and for us.

Here's the uncomfortable possibility: What if we don't like what we hear from the youth because it reminds us of what we didn't do? What if it reflects all the compromises we made and the change we let slip by?

We've spent decades telling young people they're the future. But what if the future is tired of waiting?

So, what should leadership do? First, stop trying to pacify them with praise. "You're so inspiring" is code for "We have no intention of changing, but good for you." It's empty. They want power, not compliments.

Second, get your own house in order. You want to know why they're angry? Look around. Ask how many policies actually protect them and their future. Ask how many of your decisions were made with them in the room. If the answer is zero, don't expect a warm welcome at their table.

And finally, if you're going to ask what they think, be prepared to act. Otherwise, don't ask. Listening without change is cruelty. It's worse than silence. It's permission for their cynicism to calcify. I say that as someone whose own idealism has scar tissue.

What Gen Z is bringing isn't just critique. It's a consequence. It's what happens when a generation sees the same broken systems and decides they won't just write another op-ed about it. They'll burn it down and build something better.

This isn't a plea to coddle or co-opt their rage. It's a warning: Listen while they're still talking. Because if we don't -- if all we offer them is another performative panel, another placating "thank you for sharing" -- they won't just walk away. They'll come back with something sharper.

That's their secret, Cap. They're always angry now.

Leadership must drop the facade that they're mentoring the next generation. They should be ready to incur political costs to make change. They're watching your actions, beyond just not using the restroom for 25 hours.

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Cassie McClure is a writer, millennial, and unapologetic fan of the Oxford comma. She can be contacted at cassie@mcclurepublications.com. To learn more about Cassie McClure and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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