Terrorism. ISIS. Clinton. Trump. Racism. Orlando. Dallas.
At least one of these words will spark a negative emotion inside of you. If you have walked outside of your house in the past few months, you would know that this world is far from peace.
The accounts of unsteadiness are abundant in our country. Just to name a few...
The war on terrorism seems like it's in our own backyard. Our two presidential candidates combine to offend just about every politically-educated citizen in the United States. Dozens of innocent people were killed at an Orlando nightclub, making it the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. Over 580 people have been killed by police in just the first half of 2016. We are surrounded by a war. A war against hate.
I remember the first time I felt threatened and hurt by the surrounding evil in our society. I was in my driver's education class in high school when our teacher pulled up the news on the projector. It showed news coverage of Sandy Hook Elementary School. That day, a twenty-year-old man shot and killed twenty children and six staff members. Twenty-six innocent people died at the hands of a man that is the same age as I am.
I get daily alerts on my phone from CNN, and it has become a weekly, almost bi-weekly, occurrence of some form of shooting, killing or bombing. There is growing concern on how our country should address this growing issue. Gun control laws, LGBTQ rights, police brutality and the political campaign are constant topics in the news. But here is our answer:
There isn't one. Not specifically...
No matter how hard our country will fight these battles, we will still be plagued by death and hatred. It's a constant cycle. We can pass laws and support those who agree with our own opinions, but we will never be able to persuade those who fight against us.
"I have no hope in the Republican Party or the Democratic Party. The only hope for this country is God." -Franklin Graham
This fight isn't to go against authority and our own government. The solution that we as citizens have control over is how we respond to these conflicts. Amidst all of the constant tragedy, there has been immense love and support throughout our country. We need to keep contributing to this cause, because the only thing that can fight hate is love. We have every right to fight for what we believe in; it's our right as citizens. But that all starts with love and knowing that what you're working so hard for is for the betterment of everyone. We need to have faith and choose to be the good in the world. We are useless until we contribute positive ideas into our society. After all, it is OUR country, so we need to do our part and support those who need it.
So, which side will you fight for? Love? Or hate?
