We decide what we see and yet we do not control it. We truly do choose our poison. Red or Blue, Black and White. No matter where you stand, we are fed whatever is the most profitable. Deaths, atrocities, and crime is shoehorned into our minds and seeps into the thousands of pieces of information we ingest. These toxic little seeds bleed into our daily lives. Germinating all of these little thoughts of the evil in this world perpetuates a cycle of abuse. The big companies make the rest of us feel small; all for bigger figures.

The figures that dictate our lives with lies of a bright future, who pander to but don’t gander at a grander prospect. Why must we settle for the lesser of two evils? The spectrum of potential leaders is so narrow; third parties and those who hope to bring about liberation are barred from entry.

Our problems are made clear by their weight on our hearts. While we can recognize these realities, the solutions are not so clear. Bitterness with what is unproductive. It blinds us from what could be. To give up the fight, or to give in to violence is betrayal of what’s best for the world we live in. 

We may not hold more power than those in office, more influence than those in the media, more reach than the education system, more money than CEO’s; however, WE are MORE. We’ve all heard of the term “1 percenters.” They’re exactly that. 1%. It can start from anywhere. Any injustice you observe or hurt you receive is power. The choice to be shallow with it or create something meaningful is the key.

There are meetings to be at. If there aren’t, make them. Cities, schools, companies, and all of the people who make those decisions serve you. If we all have something  to say that brings us together then do something about it., To not listen would be to ignore responsibility for their authority. We elected them to create a nobler community, so hold them to it. Make unions. When we walk out, they will listen.

If we are impacted by something and don’t let it out, it’ll eat us whole; one by one. A whole lot of our struggles aren’t unique or different from the person who sits next to you in the workplace or in class. Our problems seem so individualized that we feel like we just “need to deal”, nothing will get done about what haunts us. The people who dictate and control us won’t soothe our nightmares.

As for the fear mongering, click-farming circus that has become of the media; we, the people, deserve better. Just like how cookies baked by a loving grandmother tastes so much sweeter than that spat out of a factory, we should make our own, better news. Their business model runs on our impulse to be mad or angry at something. Don’t. Give. In. If we aren’t seeing the news we want, the news we need, make it. When we make the stories of progress, growth, and happenings of our communities free and accessible, our cities become closer and more aware. Free educational content for all can be provided on the same platforms to help us make and learn something.

A community that is educated, empowered, connected, and sufficiently provided for isn’t impossible. This line of thinking is what is stopping us. Cynicism is stopping us. When what we are surrounded by are individuals who don’t see their worth and accept defeat, they will take what we give them. To continue down a path of bleakness without hope of a life of meaning and happiness is to abandon the future.

Even if we do hold hope, putting it in young people and not in yourself is wildly irresponsible. Doing so means you don’t believe in yourself and your power. It also places a burden on those after you. 

We can only accomplish this goal of a place where everyone is cared for if everyone is acknowledged and recognizes their influence. A utopia requires union. When we are secluded or shut down our neighbors then hope will fade.

Knowing the people around you by being part of what’s going on, wherever it is, builds a cohesion and the care for one another. Being a part of outreach and talking to those struggling can give some perspective.

So I challenge you. Make something. Say something. Do something. You hold great power. The community needs to come together in the face of opposition to grow. We are many. Hope and empowerment in the hearts and hands of the masses can turn our grief into change. Only when we all forget about the people we must fight for, what we must learn for, will the flames of hope stop burning. Thank you.