When events in the course of history come to repeat themselves in such horrific fashion as to force us to realize that history repeats itself most undoubtedly, it becomes necessary to demand that the light of education be used to pave a new pathway through the darkness, and into the hearts of the people. We are at a crossroads in human history, a time in which we all must choose between caring, and succumbing to the mindless footnotes of apathy. While we are fortunate that a brave few dare to question, and to care, in a world that would rather create new Facebook filters to show solidarity for the victims of the latest tragedy, without holding itself responsible to end them. A world in which solidarity itself has become a falsified sense of nodding your head and repeating mantras fed to you as special creations from individuals hired to draw a divide in the populace and create cult like emergence. “Make America Great Again” they cry. “We are the 99 percent" they cheer, “Feel the Bern” they roar. The mantras for political change become as skillfully designed as the marketing slogans of corporate enterprises such as “Just do it”, “Finger-licking good”, and “The snack that smiles back."
We as a culture have a fascination with power, with violence and with the falsified sense of feeling important by our hands. Selfies, blog posts, even Twitter. Making the most mundane tasks we undertake over the course of a day, feel grand and presentable. And then, we are the same nation that asks ourselves…why? The interrogative plagues our media after every mass shooting, act of police brutality, rape case or social injustice. And the answer is often lost in the crossfire of the left blaming guns and the right blaming the loss of traditional values. Because we have so strived for a sense of belonging, the act of holding a unique opinion is now juxtaposed by two forces in complete opposition to each other to create a warlike sense of hatred. Are you a republican or democrat? Pro life or pro choice? A feminist or a misogynist? Are you religious or are you an atheist? For guns or against? In support of this or that? The questions fill and classify us endlessly day after day, month after month, until we become shadows of our philosophical predecessors, who used to question and challenge life. Until holding an unpopular opinion in America becomes dangerous to the point of criminality.
The truth becomes quite clear in the sense that while the world is becoming increasingly more tolerant, it is also becoming equally more hateful. In the past, when people had different opinions, they had discussions, disputations, debates, lectures, questions, counter arguments. When there were problems, people would discuss solutions, and possible causes and seek common ground to establish compromise and nuance. Today, the world is settled into absolutes, preventing us from looking at things from different angles and finding perspective. While this does not mean that we should always compromise our values or “sit on the fence,” it does mean that as educated citizens, it is our responsibility to treat other human beings with respect and to approach issues with an open mind and an open heart. With that being said, I would like to share a message that applies equally to officers of the law, your average everyday citizen, and everyone regardless of race, creed, religion, ethnicity, gender, etc. Think before you act. And always stay informed. The key to avoiding the mistakes of the past is learning. And finally, after reflection on your actions, please ensure that you do act. In the words’s of the late and beloved Elie Wiesel ,
“The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.”
Think before you act, and then act. Only then can we solve the complex problems facing 21st century America.
