Democracy Deficit Disorder Quotes

“Occurring in every situation throughout society—including home, school, the community, government, and elsewhere—the adult fragility that leads to adultism can pummel organizations, institutions, communities, and individuals everywhere.”
― Adam F.C. Fletcher, Democracy Deficit Disorder: Learning Democracy with Young People

“Adult fragility is a state in which even a minimum amount of age-based stress can become intolerable and trigger a range of emotional and behavioral reactions intended to restore a sense of age-based comfort.”
― Adam F.C. Fletcher, Democracy Deficit Disorder: Learning Democracy with Young People

“[A]dults today have been enculturated by a society where the language used, the built environment, policy-making, healthcare, school curriculums, afterschool programs, mental health counseling, libraries, and parenting can all invalidate the worth, depth, ideas, knowledge, actions, and opinions of children and youth.”
― Adam F.C. Fletcher, Democracy Deficit Disorder: Learning Democracy with Young People

“Throughout society, children and youth routinely experience alienation, segregation, and silencing. This discrimination has stifled and damaged democracy for generations. Today, that damage is in hyper speed, with the needs of young people cynically and brutally belittled by adults everywhere, all of the time.”
― Adam F.C. Fletcher, Democracy Deficit Disorder: Learning Democracy with Young People

“Democracy deficit disorder happens when classrooms, programs, roles, and activities actively raise the barriers to sustainably connecting youth with the world around them.”
― Adam F.C. Fletcher, Democracy Deficit Disorder: Learning Democracy with Young People

“In the lives of young people, democracy is a living, breathing function that can constantly guide their lives, inform their thinking, and drive their actions. While that is not the reality for most young people today, it is the possibility of that reality that drives so many children and youth today to take action to change the world.”
― Adam F.C. Fletcher, Democracy Deficit Disorder: Learning Democracy with Young People

“[Y]oung people of all identities and communities worldwide continuously reveal
themselves to be more capable, powerful, active, and progressive than they are
ever given credit for.”
― Adam F.C. Fletcher, Democracy Deficit Disorder: Learning Democracy with Young People

“Young people everywhere are fighting blatant hatred against them because of their ages. They are challenging apathy toward them because of their race, gender, and sexual identities, and making active, engaged, empowered choices to secure freedom in this generation and beyond. They are doing all of this despite and because of the oppressive forces they face. They are doing all of this because of democracy.”
― Adam F.C. Fletcher, Democracy Deficit Disorder: Learning Democracy with Young People

“Young people everywhere are fighting blatant hatred against them because
of their ages. They are challenging apathy toward them because of their race,
gender, and sexual identities, and making active, engaged, empowered choices to
secure freedom in this generation and beyond. They are doing all of this despite
and because of the oppressive forces they face. They are doing all of this because
of democracy.”
― Adam F.C. Fletcher, Democracy Deficit Disorder: Learning Democracy with Young People