Recently, it seems like we can’t turn anywhere without being bombarded by tragic and horrifying news. It seems like school shootings are happening more and more, political issues are being dealt with slowly and everyone worldwide is losing hope. It’s a really scary time, as well as a time that seems unlike any we’ve experienced. I grew up with President Obama, and for the most part, I was oblivious to any real issues. By the time I was paying attention to what was on the news, it seemed like everything was spiraling out of control.
And unfortunately, it still feels like that. Every time I open my News app or sit down to watch the news, it seems like nothing in the world is getting better, or it’s taking too long to make what seem like obvious changes. When we’re being saturated with these types of depressing articles, it can be easy to think we’re going to keep on living like this and nothing can change. Thankfully, that’s not the case. This past weekend, March for Our Lives took place across the world. Millions of people showed up in major cities and small towns to protest gun violence and support gun control. While it was an amazing show of support, what was amazing was that it was student-led. High school and college students were most of the protestors, and they were the ones who made their voices heard. It’s events like these that really show that we’re not doomed to listen to the same type of news forever. Finding our voices in challenging times like these is difficult, but it’s possible and necessary.
For a long time now, we’ve used social media for some amazing purposes. We meet people across the world, we get information quicker, and we can keep in touch with all our friends. But something else we can also do is use social media to raise our voices when it comes to the causes we think are important. Tweeting something out or making a post about it on Instagram isn’t going to change things overnight. But what it will do is put that information out there. Followers who maybe didn’t know the facts will become informed and might begin to care about the topic as well. Social media is also a get way to get in touch with your legislators and see what their stance on issues are. On Twitter and Instagram, it’s easy to see what they care the most about. Oftentimes our legislators are the ones who can enact change, so it’s super important to know a lot about them.
We’ve already seen how effective marching is. It symbolizes that an issue is important to us, and we won’t just sit down and go along with it. Not only does it show to the world at large that an issue is important to us, it shows it to our legislators. A lot of the causes that organize marches want specific legislation passed. When legislators see people stand up and fight for something, they know that they must create change or get booted out of office.
However, only attending marches isn’t the most effective way to do something. A lot of people will make a sign, attend a march, and go home thinking that the job is done. It’s far from done. The next step is keep the word out there, and volunteer. For almost every cause you care about, there’s a way to volunteer for it. For example, if you believe in stricter gun control, there’s still a long road ahead. Politicians who believe in this cause need to be voted into office, so there’s always a chance to volunteer for them. Whether that’s getting out to people’s homes and spreading the word, or telephone banking, there’s always a way to keep on fighting for what you believe to be right. If you don’t have time to volunteer, because you’re a busy collegiate (Which is totally okay), then perhaps consider donating to a special cause. Even a dollar can go a long way. Just do the research beforehand so you feel comfortable giving away your hard-earned pennies!
I’ve never been as inspired by my peers and friends as I am right now. Our generation is making some incredible changes and creating a better future. It feels like we’re living in a time that will be recorded in history books as a period of change. Every single step we make is history-making and record-breaking. We are living in difficult and challenging times. But we’re not letting that define that and we’re not letting our lives go by us. Instead, we’re going out there and creating a difference. Even though it can seem daunting at times, supporting each other goes a long way. We shouldn’t be afraid of speaking out and having our voices heard. Our futures are ever changing and we’re the ones who are driving the change. And as scared as I am, I’m never going to stop fighting for what’s right.
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