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What the Attacks on Greta Thunberg Reveal
Why such willingness to publicly attack a child?
Greta Thunberg has set the world on fire. That is, she’s been fighting with every ounce of strength to keep the world from setting itself on fire. The teenage climate activist has, within a year, transformed the way the public thinks about the looming threat posed by climate change, and mobilized millions to strike and march for immediate political and economic attention to our planet’s future. The difference one year makes is staggering:
But her activism hasn’t sat well with the Venn Diagram of conservatives, climate deniers, and those who hate when women (and children) project power, confidence, and idealism. On the one hand, most have received Thunberg and her message with approbation, rightly applauding her for the movement she has created and the effects it has had upon young and old alike. On the other hand, a cynical few have attacked her mercilessly for daring to transgress conservative social norms.
Until recently, media figures would avoid attacking children in public. Social media, however, has…
