Our club plans events with an underlying mission in mind: to reach the hearts and souls of our peers and combat today's worst weapon of mass destruction and possibly the most horrendous condition that has overtaken my generation as of late: apathy. Walton asserts that "children at this age should be taught how to think for themselves." Not a single adult suggested this idea of a Peace Week to my 10 or so fellow club members and me; thus, we are the living embodiment of independent thinkers.

I must admit that some of us young Peacers are idealists. Yet, if our society does not learn to appreciate the idealism of youths, we will gradually lose our precious sources of innovation.

I am proud to be an American, with the right to an education and the obligation to utilize my ability to discern between right and wrong in pursuit of justice. I am continually saddened to see our country in such rapid decline, but I have a glimpse — or perhaps more than a glimpse — of hope that my generation can escape this ugly label of apathy and rebuild our broken planet.

The Peacers Club exists as a result of our "childish" idealism. If we have changed a couple of minds in the process, or merely ignited one person’s passion or triggered just a wee bit of cognition in the souls of a few, we have progressed.

We are not the leaders of tomorrow, but the leaders of today.

— Lauren Weiner, Ventura