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SPECIAL FEATURE
ACTIVIST OF THE MONTH |
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Ava Lowery: Teen Activist Making a Difference in the Iraq War
Sixteen-year-old Ava Lowery has been making political statements with video since March 2005. Her videos and website (peacetakescourage.com) have caught the eye of many people —some in a positive way and some…not so much. Despite the death threats and insulting responses, Ava continues to express her opposition to the Iraq War and encourages other teens to "Speak out!" Teen Editors Shaquana Nedd, Chavonne Dunbar, Amber McConnico, all 17, interviewed Ava this spring about the way she chooses to get her opinions out into the world.
Teen Voices: What inspired you to make your website and video pieces against the Iraq War?
Ava Lowery: I wanted a way to speak out. I thought the internet was a great way because it reaches out to so many people, and me being in a small town, and a teenager it's very hard for me to do that in another way.
Teen Voices: What is your goal in putting together your webpage and your animations?
Ava: My goal is to warn people about the Iraq War and change people's minds about war and think about the issues some more.
Teen Voices: How do you feel about the Iraq War?
Ava: I feel that the Iraq War is wrong. In the very beginning I gave the president the benefit of the doubt and supported the war. That's something I regret, and after doing a lot of research online I found several reasons to really dislike the war. For example, there were no weapons of mass destruction to begin with.
Teen Voices: What are some tips you can give us to speak out to the public about a world issue?
Ava: I'd suggest to anyone who wants to speak out to start up a blog or make videos of your own. Youtube's a great site to upload any videos because anyone can upload anything and get their message across.
Teen Voices: How do you choose the songs for the videos?
Ava: Well, usually I choose the songs before I actually make the video. I would hear a song, it would inspire me to make a video, and that's how I chose the song.
Teen Voices: Which video are you most proud of?
Ava: That's a hard one to answer because there are so many that are very different. For example, I am really proud of, "What Would Jesus Do?" because it focuses on Iraqi civilians, and on Christianity, two things that are important to me. Also I really like the video I did on, "How This Must End" and its specific emphasis on the soldiers. I have two uncles who have been to Iraq and they are important to me.
Teen Voices: We saw the video, What Would Jesus Do" too and it was very powerful.
Ava: Thank you.
Teen Voices: I understand you have received many death threats and vicious responses to your work. How has this affected you?
Ava: Well, when I first got the first few death threats my immediate response—well, my mom's immediate response—was to shutdown the website. We ended up not doing that because we knew that if we had done that then it would have just been backing down to what had happened, proving that sending death threats works. That is something that I don't believe in and, after all, the name of the website is "Peace Takes Courage" and I think I am proving that with the death threats. I haven't gotten death threats in a long time. I still get hate mail, but the death threats have stopped. That is something that I am really glad about.
Teen Voices: How did you deal with the death threats?
Ava: I dealt with the death threats by not responding to the actual death threats. I put them out there for other people to see along with the videos that caused the death threats. That's the best thing to do—put it out there for people to see.
Teen Voices: Does your family support your work?
Ava: My family does support my work. I am very lucky to have such a supportive family. They think it is great that I am so involved because I am learning a lot through the website.
Teen Voices: Many people are impressed with the quality and honesty of your pieces, even when they don't know you are only 16 years old. Do you think your age affects how people react to your work? Do you think it helps or hinders you or both?
Ava:I think my age does help me and it also discredits me because a lot of adults at times don't want to listen to young people. The thing is, we young people are the ones whose futures are being decided right now. I think it is important for us to speak up and voice our opinions.
Teen Voices: What kind of reaction has your work received from people in the military?
Ava: I have gotten a lot of really nice and positive responses from the military. Very rarely do I get a response from the military that is disagreeing with me. And it has been great through my website to hear from some soldiers who have been to Iraq and say they agree. A lot of times soldiers can't speak if they are active duty soldiers.
Teen Voices: Do you ever read the critical comments about your videos?
Ava: I have actually made videos out of the critical comments before and a lot of them are really nasty and not very nice at all. But by putting the attention on them I think it shows the hypocrisy of people sitting next to you.
Teen Voices: Do you think the people who make those comments about you know you are 16?
Ava: I hope they don't, and I give them the benefit of the doubt that they don't. But a lot of them do because a lot of them specifically target that in the e-mail. I think it is sad that anyone would send that to someone, regardless of their age, but the fact that they are sending them to a 16-year-old is completely sad.
Teen Voices: What do you hope to accomplish next?
Ava: Well, I am working on my first documentary now and that is something I am hoping to do great things with by focusing on the soldiers who have come back from Iraq. I think that is something people should focus more on, that there are soldiers who are returning or who have returned home.
Teen Voices: To other teens looking for a way to fight against the war, or for any cause they are passionate about, what would your advice be to them?
Ava: Get out there and speak out! The most important thing to do is engage others in discussion about things you think are important because staying silent isn't going to accomplish anything.
Teen Voices: Do you think you are an activist?
Ava: I definitely think I am an activist! I am proud to call myself an activist. Everyone should be an activist about one thing or another and it doesn't require devoting your whole life to be an activist. It just requires devoting some of your time to an issue you think is important.
Teen Voices: How long do you think this war will go on?
Ava: Hopefully, it won't go on for much longer. Bush himself said that he is not going to end this war while he is in office, and that is something that is terribly upsetting, but hopefully our new Congress will do something soon about this war. It is important for citizens to send a message that they need to do something.
Teen Voices: Have you written anything to Bush or talked to him in person?
Ava: No, I have not. I have directed my videos at Bush several times, but I have not actually spoken with him. I don't think he has seen my videos. Maybe the secret service has.
Teen Voices: If you had a chance to talk to him, what would you say?
Ava: I would tell him to bring our troops home. I'd tell him he needs to start listening. There are many people around him telling him that this war is a disaster and it is time to admit mistakes and bring our troops home. This war started on lies, has continued based on ego, and it is something that is scary and frightening.
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