Anyone willing to come to the United States and tell the most powerful people in the world that fossil fuels are killing us is unbelievably brave.
They are also practically inviting the adult-children we call "climate change deniers" to whine on the internet.
However will adults be able to handle their emotions around a child?
Luckily, a new helpline is ready to assist!
The Australian channel, ABC, produced a sketch for its show "7.30" written by Mark Humphries and Evan Williams.
In the sketch, The Greta Thunberg Helpline is announced, a parody service for adults angry at a child.
Now you too can rage into a telephone because a 16-year-old doesn't want to destroy the planet!
It's more common than you think.
The sketch is pretty good, with some choice quotes that make it easy to laugh at the grown adults raging at a girl who wants to save the environment.
I'm a particular fan of:
"So before you go full CAPS LOCK in an article comment section, let our expert counselors assess your situation."
Though there are other gems like:
"It's OK, we understand that children acting like adults can make adults act like children."
It's so good, it's art.
Even Greta Thunberg herself enjoyed the joke.
It's disappointing, if unsurprising, that a sketch like this works so well.
Despite Thunberg's message repeating the scientific consensus, a young person who will have to live in the future we're making is far more visceral and effective than a scientist explaining the facts.
But, certain people get paid by certain kinds of businesses so you get Fox News insulting Thunberg, comparing her to The Children of the Corn and calling her "mentally ill". You get the President of the United States, Donald Trump making sarcastic jabs at the teen.
Someone even thought digging up another child activist with similar talking points as Thunberg would be some kind of "gotcha".
Fun fact: It was not.
The fact is we need action on climate change. Greta Thunberg is doing amazing work, and her words are sparking a fire like never seen before.
But it's not all on her.
There needs to be more action. There needs to be legislation taken against the biggest polluters in our world.
This is a good time to ask, are you registered to vote?
Show the world where you stand with this shirt available here.
*****
Listen to the first season of George Takei's podcast, 'Oh Myyy Pod!' where we explore the racially charged videos that have taken the internet by storm.
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