Well, yeah it is. America, straight up, it’s time we get our act together. For real. The people of the United States live in either one of two states, in either fear or ignorance. A small portion of people from the small minority can have the full comprehension of what is currently in our hands right now. There is a massive uprising of individuals who are upset and have seemingly logical opinions that in reality are either very skewed or cannot follow a clear path. Others still live in fear that they too will have their lives at risk and so either hide from the fear or ignore it altogether.

Here’s the thing, though, when people seem to put their personal opinions or personal anecdotes on the Internet or Facebook, it isn’t doing much good to anyone. It is sending a message to those on your friend's list, “Hey, don’t forget about me today, because I-” because nine times out of ten, we just like and scroll past. If there were real activism, people would not only speak out against the injustices of their communities but begin coalitions, start initiatives, begin conversations and movements and begin to develop leadership with each other rather than sit and share grainy memes of the Internet hoping to garner some attention and fake Internet points. It’s almost as bad as staying silent and forgetting about the tragic history the nation has faced in its past. Many see the outlet of social media as a medium to communicate, but unfortunately, are too naive to realize that the trap of the Internet lies in there.

Sure- there will be trending hashtags and of course, there will be viral videos, but remember how quickly we forgot about Bernie, Bowie, or Brock Turner? Or what of the countless who are dead in the United States because of continual gang violence, or the inequality that the nation still faces? Sure All Lives Matter, of course, but unfortunately, why didn’t they matter before? And only now do people who do not want to be hurt or commit to such a powerful and momentous movement like the Black Lives Matter initiative, and decide to shield their political correctness by saying All Lives Matter in an almost sarcastic way.

As the way things stand in the United States, we are not preparing for an election, we are not preparing for reform, we are not preparing for action, we are preparing for war. Whatever happened to "Make Love Not War"? There are still a lot of moral compasses to be checked and with whatever happens, one thing I can be certain of for this ongoing chaos, DO NOT STAY SILENT. Remember how the “silent majority” make the decisions? Yeah, don’t be the one who doesn’t say anything and then later complain that you didn’t want things this way because you wanted justice when you didn’t want to be criticized by your peers. There are a lot of ideas, issues, and lives to stand for in this time, but it is essential that the voice of those who can clearly express themselves be heard, and lead those who need it most. We are fed up with protesters, and we are fed up with killing, we need leaders, and the time to lead is now.