If you know me, you might see me as quiet, aloof, or laid back. I'm (usually) the kind of guy who likes to listen but not speak. I like to keep an open mind. I'm not loudly political/religious/opinionated by any means. Those who spend a lot of time around me, however, learn that when I have a strong opinion on a subject, I don't hold back.

In the last few years I've watched as tensions have grown in our country. For the most part I stayed quiet about what I saw. I didn't want to be another voice in the cacophony of half-informed opinions. I didn't want to do nothing but I didn't think there was much I could do. So I sat and I watched and I collected my thoughts.

Now it's 2016 and I can't stay silent anymore. There has been so much violence in the last year alone that I can hardly keep myself from screaming.

What the hell is wrong with this country? We are surrounded by injustice everyday. We see it on the news, we hear it on the radio stations...hell, if you pay attention you've probably witnessed it first hand.

A month ago, 49 people were killed because of their sexual orientation. A few weeks, Alton Sterling was shot by police because his skin color made him a high-risk threat. A few days ago, 5 cops were killed because of their job title. I don't know how anyone could stay silent at this point. This is no longer about opinion; America is falling to pieces.

Now I don't claim to know all of the details of these complicated cases. Honestly most of my information comes from glimpses at biased news articles, segments from late night television hosts, enraged Twitter fanatics, and Facebook videos, but I don't need every detail to know that something is wrong.

America has become a giant battle ground of "us" versus "them." I can't count the number of times I have heard the word "they" used to describe an entire group of people casually in conversation. We blame groups of people for our problems; we separate ourselves because "they" are all this way or that way.

But, thinking about it now, I am not a direct "us" or "them." I am a young, white male. I have no "them" to worry about. I am nobody's target for a hate crime. "My people" have very little to worry about in light of these issues. I am a third party watching as horrible things happen all around me. I guess that is what is meant by privilege.

So many of us sit in this privilege, this sort of bubble, and we simply comment on what's happening outside. We think we should have an opinion, we think it is our place to say something, and yet we can't even recognize this privilege. Sure, I guess the bubble is transparent, and I guess we've grown up in the bubble so we really don't realize its there, and I guess even if we realize its there, isn't it easier if we just let everyone else work out their issues since it doesn't affect us anyway.

No.

We cannot continue to be a passive third party in this battle. No healing can be accomplished if we can't recognize our place in society. We need to step out of our bubbles and fight for justice in the world we live in.

It's not as hard as it seems. So much can be accomplished if we change the "us" vs. "them" culture. We need to stop separating ourselves into rivaling groups. We are one people; we are "one nation...with liberty and justice for all." But you can't have justice for all without recognition of all people's importance.

So go out and do something. Make people realize that all lives matter by fighting for the groups of people that we are constantly being shown don't matter as much. Get to know people outside of your bubble so that we can stand as one people. Let's make America better than its ever been rather than settling for "making America great again."

Let's do something.