Change: the Thing People Always Fight
- No Silence Just Action
- May 24, 2022
- 4 min read
It's one of the biggest truths of a person's life, and yet is also the hardest to accept for most people. Why is that? Is it because we are afraid to accept change? Or are we too comfortable with the lives we have now?
You guys might be wondering why I'm talking about such a big concept all of a sudden. But the fact is, it's not all of a sudden. Over the last few decades, our world has been consistently changing in all aspects, from the fields of science and technology to social and political activism, to bringing in new rules and regulations; a new normal. However, not everyone is always so keen on accepting the new normal. While change is a constant of life, it is also one of the most resisted aspects of a person's life.
Let's take a look into our own country's history in adapting to change. While the Revolutionary war of the 18th Century was what led to the birth of the country, the American Civil War was fought because one part of the country could not accept changing personal views on people of color and accept them as equals. The Confederacy could not accept African Americans being treated as equals in their society the way they were treated in the northern States. To protect their own way of life, they fought the Civil War in hopes of being able to maintain it. But what happened? They lost because they didn't have the resources to outlast the North in continuous war. But did the Civil War truly end slavery? Because afterward, we had the era of Jim Crow Laws, where yes, African Americans had the freedom to live their lives the way they want, but as second-class citizens. Even with the right to vote, thanks to Jim Crow laws, and lack of proper appropriation of resources, not all were able to get the resources needed to pass the requirements to get all the basic rights of a US citizen. African Americans were still separated and grouped away because White Citizens did not want them to sit together. They were still treated as slaves, but the style was changed. If African Americans got arrested, they no longer had the rights they were promised. Not enough resources were given to African American schools, to ensure those kids would be able to pass the literacy test to get the right to vote, while white kids did not have to put in that much effort. Even after fighting a war to end slavery, African Americans still are not treated like basic human beings, even in today's day and age.
1 week ago, a white man opened fire on a supermarket in Buffalo, New York. He openly declared on social media that he was a white supremacist who wanted to commit political violence. Ten African Americans were murdered, and 3 were injured, one of which is still fighting for his life in the hospital. And yet, no gun control will be filed because people use the same argument that the Second Amendment gives us the right to have a weapon.
Today, we have another Sandy Hook shooting in Texas. Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. 19 people dead. 18 children and 1 teacher. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN. 2nd Graders, 3rd Graders, 4th Graders. 18-year-old Salvador Ramos was the shooter. AN 18-YEAR-OLD. But will this second Sandy Hook Shooting finally lead to the birth of proper gun control?
We are surrounded by so many issues today, but no one is willing to accept that we need to have major change occur if these issues are going to end. We need proper gun control. We need to defund the police. We need to recognize racism in our areas and in ourselves. But are we willing to take that first step?
How many shootings have occurred and how much more frequently have they happened in recent years because we refuse to create a more efficient gun control system? It has been literally 10 years since the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in 2012. It's 2022, and we have another Sandy Hook on our hands, a week after a mass shooting at a supermarket. A SUPERMARKET. One decade later, we have more shootings than ever. Who is to say your child, your partner, or your family member won't be a victim of the next shooting that occurs somewhere in this country? I'm not going to go into what kind of proper gun control system could be created, because I've already written an entire article on how we could create an efficient gun control system. One that will not take the rights away from a person to get a gun for their own protection, but will also make it harder for these would-be shooters to get access to as well. AGAIN, I am not saying to fully make it illegal to own a gun. I AM SAYING, to have a thorough system in place that checks both the mental, physical, and emotional health of the person purchasing the gun. Make them go to a therapist on the regular; someone who will make sure the owner is in the proper headspace to handle a gun - NOT letting an 18-year-old get their hands on an assault rifle as easily as getting a bag of chips. If we have to be 21 to be able to drink in public, why are we making it so easy to give someone access to something even deadlier like a gun at the age they'd be trying to get their driver's license?
Change is one of the most fought for and against concepts in this world. And in the United States, we have people on both sides. But everyone needs to realize that Change is a part of life, and no matter how hard you fight it, it will happen. But the question is, if we keep fighting change, how long will it be before we end up losing everything before we're willing to change?
Comments