I would like to start off by saying I am deeply saddened and heartbroken by the hatred we have seen in our world. I grieve for the lives of the law enforcement and African Americans that have been lost in recent events. I am distraught over the lives lost in France just last week. I am sorrowful when any life is lost, and it hurts me that we even have to declare that certain lives matter. Of course, life matters! Life is so precious, and it should never be taken away in events so vile and wicked. Let’s call it for what it is: evil. This world has been inherently evil since the fall of man, and will continue to be evil until its final end. That being said, I do believe in good. I believe in redemption and peace and love, and I believe in Jesus Christ. But no matter what you believe, we can all agree that there is some good in the world, and we all would like to see more good and less evil. What differentiates us is what we do about that desire.
Some have misplaced their desire to see the good in the world with a deep hatred. That hatred spreads beyond the horrible events themselves to generalize certain groups and people. Black lives matter, blue lives matter, all lives matter — just to name a few. One group hates the other and violence ensues. People take to the streets to voice their beliefs and their ideologies, and while intentions may be pure, the results may not end up so pretty and peaceful.
Peaceful protests are not the answer. Violent protests are not the answer. Taking to the streets is not the answer. Unless you are willing to strap on your boots, do some work and enact change, you are not helping the cause you speak for. Before anyone starts yelling at me for saying that, I will say this: yes, I agree that protests create visibility for your cause; but, think about it. What happens beyond that? If you don’t do anything to produce change, what good does your visibility do? If all you have is visibility, you are only feeding the mainstream media. CNN, Fox News and ABC thrive off division, hatred, violence, discord and evil. They get good ratings, don’t they? Animosity sells, and peace, progress, and love are dull.
If you want to see change — and I mean real change — put down your signs, stop screaming at your neighbor and do something. Raise money for local underprivileged youth. Volunteer at the homeless shelter. Mentor a student. Help out at the nursing home. Get to know your neighbors and leaders. Call your congressmen, local representatives and the White House. If you don’t like the education system, vote for different school board members, band together to discuss change with other parents or become a teacher. If you don’t like the law enforcement system, attend city council meetings, vote for different leaders or become a law enforcement officer to fix the problem from the inside. Screaming about change with your signs on the street only creates a heyday for the media. If you want the world to change, remember you are part of this world. You can make a difference, but you have to be willing to work for it. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and this country isn’t going to magically fix itself with picket signs, protests, marches and especially not hatred and violence. It’s going to change when the people decide to get up and become the change they wish to see in the world.
”Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” – Thomas Edison
