A common response people give when you ask them what it is they want for a gift for a special occasion is “world peace”, and typically you would just laugh, shrug it off and ask what it is they really wanted. I’ll be the first to admit, there will always be conflict in the world. On a planet with over 7 billion people the odds of us all living in peace is essentially impossible. But however impossible it may be, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. It seems as though everyday the number of violent attacks occurring all over the world grows at an alarming rate. Whether it be spree shooters here in the United States, or terrorist attacks abroad, the frequency of these occurrences is just far too high. The attacks on Paris last November killed over 127 people and most recently the attacks on Brussels killed at least 13 and the numbers continue to rise. How many innocent lives need to be lost before we take a stand?

I don’t know about you but I don’t want to go about my life living in fear. I believe that families should be able to walk through an airport without the fear of a bomb going off. I believe that children should be able to walk into their schools feeling protected and secure, not worrying that the kid sitting next to them may have a gun in their pocket. We are not living in a war zone. Movie theatres, places of worship, and malls should be places where we can go and feel safe in doing so, not somewhere where we constantly look over our shoulder to make sure that everything is as it should be. However, if we want to see a change, we have to be the ones to start it.

First off, we have to face our fears instead of hiding from them. When attacks like these occur we can’t stop living our lives because if we do, then they win. If we let them instill that fear in us, eventually there will come a time where we won’t feel safe going anywhere. Everyone will live in the confines of their own home because anywhere else poses too high a threat, and that is no way to live. So it starts with us. Don’t be afraid to get on your flight tomorrow because the likelihood of your plane being the target of an attack is still incredibly low. Don’t skip out on going to the movies, I promise even in today’s world it’s one of the least dangerous places you can be. Just don’t let them scare you into submission. Don’t give in. It’s recommended that each day you do something that scares you, if each of us upholds that mentality we’ll combat the fear they try to instill in us, and they won’t win. We will.