The news has been full of violence as of late. If the incessant cases of police brutality or bigoted statements from presidential candidates were not enough, protests in Missouri have become intense, more American troops have been sent to Syria and Afghanistan, there are millions of refugees fleeing the chaos in Syria, and an ISIS terrorist attack occurred in Paris on Friday after their notable soccer game, taking hostage of and killing over one hundred people. With such horrors occurring so often, people often think we are in a time of chaos, but we are actually in the most peaceful time in human history.
Yes, despite the school shootings, the terrorist bombings and the civil wars, we actually have the lowest mortality rate in history. There is no world war involving all of the superpowers' militaries; violence against women is at a record low; our life expectancy rises as time goes on; we have the best medical care to get rid of diseases; in some countries, getting the flu or diarrhea is no longer a death sentence; rape cases are at a record low. It may be hard to believe, but we sleep easier than any human before us.
Why does everything seem so chaotic, then? We are both well-informed and under-educated. On one hand, we have the best media coverage in history. Americans could get updates on what was happening during the Paris terrorist attack by the minute. Americans are also lucky enough to have an open government and media that will inform its people of what is close to the truth. On the other hand, we are unaware of our own history. We take for granted how our innovation has made us safer and more advanced.
On the other side of the innovation-coin, our weapons are much more dangerous. No matter where one stands on the issue of gun control, it is undeniable that they are an advanced, dangerous weapon. Furthermore, we are frightened of nuclear bombs destroying the world due to a petty war. One could argue that we live in the most dangerous period of human history due to our advanced weapons and easy access to information.
The best indication that we live in the most peaceful time in human history is that we can worry about such petty issues as the subtleties behind a cup being red. We can whine about our parents not getting us the right iPhone. We can cry and scream at a fictional television show. We can go to festivals and conventions to express our mutual interests. We can write books on an issue as controversial or as though-provoking as we please. We can have deep conversations with people across the globe. We can become invested in a sport among communities, states and nations.
If we love this state of idle contentment in the advanced Western world, we should remind ourselves of what our fellow humans in other parts of the world must endure. Some women may never be seen without their husband. Some children die from diarrhea. Some journalists are arrested for challenging their government. Some people are raped relentlessly for money in a country they are totally unfamiliar with. Some people go days without eating or showering. Some people die forgotten, unnoticed and unreported.
We need to raise awareness. We need to help our fellow people. Instead of accusing people of terrorism and criminality because of their skin tone and/or nationality, we need to send aid to those in need. Does that mean food and water? Does that mean money? Does that mean soldiers? Should we listen to ethics or logic? Should we police the world? Is there a right answer? If one thing is for certain, it is that the world is always changing, and it is in desperate need for some good.
