Anyone who knows me personally will probably be confused by the title of this article. I constantly get into arguments about social injustices for marginalized groups, use my privilege as an LGBTQA ally to the best of my ability, and try to attend nearly every justice rally in my area. I recognize that complacency is taking the side of the oppressor. So, basically, I try my best to be woke AF.
Now, a lot of people are annoyed by the actions listed above. Maybe you think that protesting and marching are useless wastes of time. Maybe you think that social media usage should be limited to sharing cute animal videos and not political opinions. Maybe you don't believe in the concept of privilege. But, I am saying this now, as sincerely as humanely possible: I don't care. This article isn't about you or for you.
This article is for anyone who thinks that my actions listed above are actually doing anything relevant. Because they aren't. Don't get me wrong, clapping back at racist, xenophobic, homophobic trolls is a lovely way to pass the time. But, if I'm not doing my best to dismantle systems that cause people to suffer in the first place, there is literally no point to any of this.
Crying won't solve anything. It will not stop a cop from allowing stereotypes to cloud their judgement and shoot unarmed citizens who aren't a threat. It will not stop the judge who gave Brock Turner his three month sentence because Turner's future as a collegiate athlete was deemed important than the woman that he raped behind a dumpster. It will not stop the countless teenagers of the LGBTQA community from wanting to take their own lives because people want to attack them during the time that they are just trying to find themselves.
Social justice warriors cry. Social activists fight back.
A social justice warrior will see a library that lacks a wheelchair ramp and will be upset and try to raise awareness about the issue, but will not actually do anything to fix it. But, a social activist will be the one who will look up wheelchair accessibility laws and will come up with a platform to present to the library's management. They aren't stopping until there is a ramp that allows people with disabilities to access the building as easily as everyone else. They are the one's who make change happen. We all need to be like this.
But the mindset of an activist doesn't come easily. It takes time and dedication to make change happen and not everyone cares enough to follow through, which is a problem. But in life, you can either lead, follow or get out of the way.
The Women's March took place the day after Trump's inauguration and the numbers were record breaking. Attending the event might have been a great experience for people, but how many of us will embrace the message that we preached and will actually take action? How many of us will donate money to Planned Parenthood to help keep their doors open? How many of us will attend city council meetings that determine whether or not the LGBTQA community will receive the basic human rights that they deserve? How many of us will simply write an angry paragraph on Facebook and think that that is enough? If every single person from the worldwide march ACTUALLY mobilized for a common cause, it would be groundbreaking.
If you feel that your rights are in danger, now is the time to act. If you wait until after, you have already lost. The time for complacency is over. Fight back.
Stay informed. Network with other activists. Come together and figure out what problems can be fixed on a local level. Figure out what laws and which politicians need to go. Figure out who needs help and how you can help. And most importantly, vote in the 2018 Congressional elections.
You have more power than you think.
