It seems that every day another incident occurs. There is a wide and plentiful range of hate crimes, national disasters, accidents, and overall struggles on a daily basis. This is a fact that we are all too familiar with. Even if you’re scrolling your Instagram feed, you’re bound to find some kind of post containing bad news. Obviously, no one person holds the power to make all terrible things cease to exist. If you look at things from a realistic standpoint then you’re probably thinking, or have thought, “there will always be sadness and evil in the world.” I can’t necessarily argue that point; but maybe we should draw more attention to another viewpoint.
It seems that we, human beings, can’t avoid being selfish. The selfishness isn’t only limited to individuals, but the individual’s focus on their particular obstacles. Sometimes this sprouts from our inability to relate. For example, if I am already an American Citizen then debates about Immigration Reform may not get my attention or empathy. Another reasoning for our selfishness could be the lack of motivation to become educated on the issues. In this instance, one might take the Black Lives Matter movement and put their own twist on it because they think the meaning is obvious, yet they haven’t actually tried learning about it. In general, it seems that we take minding our own business to the extreme when it comes to actual involvement. But all of that goes out the window when we go on Twitter rants about these issues.
If there’s anything that I’ve learned while being on a college campus, it would be appreciation for diversity. While I know and have lived my own problems, I should also be aware that other people—no matter how different they appear—have also known and lived similar problems. We can’t expect to wake up in a world that is free of evil and wrongdoings. But while we live in such a place, shouldn’t we stand behind the people affected by these awful occurrences? You may think that it isn’t your obligation, you don’t have money to donate to GoFundMe accounts, or that you (being only one person) won’t make a difference. Those feelings are valid; if the money isn’t there to give then you simply can’t, but your support and true backing of that cause or person sends a message that you can’t put a dollar amount on.
Think of it this way: two teams are playing, one team has the home advantage and a real experience while the other team is continuously giving their best effort to win. Solidarity would be acknowledging that one team has the upper hand and choosing to stand with the less advantageous team. Although you are technically not affected by their victory or defeat and you don’t know what it’s like to play on that specific team, you are understanding and offer encouragement anyway!
You do not necessarily have to be immersed in the issues to send positive thoughts or shine a light on it for others to join the fight. Solidarity is crucial in universal progress. Plus it just makes sense to be against the bad things together. Don’t leave your neighbor alone in their battles and don’t think that your support will make your own struggle any less important. Regardless of the setbacks and tribulations that we experience, together or separately, there is a certain amount of peace that comes from knowing you have people willing to stand with you.