With summer starting and graduations underway, many believe that learning stops when that last final is turned in. But, in reality, we should never stop learning. For our future or current jobs or careers, we learn our particular trades and obtain skills to move forward in life, but what about certain aspects of our world we tend to forget? We are aware of the injustices and poverty, but we ignore what is going on because we do not want to be uncomfortable. But, when we ignore, the past comes back to haunt us. We make mistakes our ancestors made instead of preventing them.
The “American Dream” has changed, and we live in a different America than we were in even 10-years ago. We cannot keep our world from changing by ignoring what is happening. Instead, go towards the uncomfortable because you will learn a lot more than you will in your private bubble. This article is on the dangers of ignorance, and by ignoring facts and not gaining knowledge, we become stunted as individuals. We feel like keeping our own values and ideals we run to and then fight those who disagree instead of coming together as one. We become divided in our values when we should be coming together as one. Instead of arguing about Target’s bathroom choice, learn about the underlying factor: transgender rights. Don’t just vote for a name; learn about what they stand for as candidates. To truly become “One Nation,” we must truly learn of our differences and that is when we will understand each other.
I read an article called "Enjoy Your Transgender Bathrooms. We Just Lost America” by Kyle S. Reyes and, like most people, he discredits our changing country by calling it such words as, “soft” and “lost.” But why be so willing to criticize everyone in our country? Why be so willing to ignore the fact that there are people who are starting to feel comfortable saying they are transgender and who are being discriminated against? I understand that people are arguing about gender in this country, but I also understand there are people being affected. Not you, and not me, but there is a percentage of people being negatively affected by this event, and we are all part of it.
If we want to be a country that is indivisible, we cannot isolate ourselves from the situations happening, which is what Reyes does. The word “we” is used in almost every sentence, but we must take responsibility for what is happening in our country. Every single one of us is responsible for this country having some division. Writing an article showing the hypocrisy of our country will not change it and writing an article on ignorance will not change it. Going out into the country and professing the education of the uncomfortable topics that are put forth in this country. For some people, it may be too late, and for others they might not have enough empathy, but people will learn and people will understand. It is impossible for one person to understand what it is like for every single demographic in this country, which is why there needs to be an understanding to know what others see, and some of us don’t.
We are all members of society and it is our duty to prevent our country from dividing and going into the unknown makes what we see in there become knowledge. We don’t learn everything we need to learn in school, which is why we need to learn outside of the classroom. If you are uncomfortable in a discussion, open your ears and listen to what someone different from you has to say, and you will learn about what happens in America today.
