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Politics and Activism

Words are as Powerful as Actions

"No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world." said Robin Williams.

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Words are as Powerful as Actions

I'm sorry my skills are limited to writing. Right now, the call for action demands more of our attention than the idealistic words of a naive college student. I don't know the correct action to help. I won't say it's due to my age, but rather my lack of wisdom. The topics which have been taught and studied throughout my life all seem pretty irrelevant in the face of the recent tragedies.

I do not have the social media presence, nor am I very connected to influential people in real life to make any lasting changes. I only have my words to offer. While I know it will not be enough, hopefully words, if not my own then someone else's, will remind people why words are the necessary foundation for wise action.

Let us remember "I Have a Dream" by Martin Luther King Jr., Patrick Henry's "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death", and the first inaugural address for our country by George Washington. The words spoken by these men were the fuel to energize the American people. Words inspired actions, and guided a way to a more stable future.

Yes, I sincerely believe the situation we live in needs more than words. If we only talk about the issues, we're not solving them. We're simply putting them off until a later date. But, the actions I'm asking us all to participate in are actions we would be proud to call our own. The only way our actions will create a better future for our children, is if we act through unity. America was founded on unity, and has been able to exist through the idea we are one nation.

I apologize if my words have not eased anyone's pain. Part of me wonders if those words exist. What I do know, is even in this day of action, one of the worst things we can do is have a knee-jerk reaction. Words, when constructed properly, can mend hearts and allow people to breathe. When tragedies seem to fall like a row of dominoes one right after the other, it can be excruciating to wait even the smallest amount of time. I'm not asking to simply sit and wait, to wait until things fix themselves. I'm requesting, no, begging us all to remember our nation should be united, to recall the significance of words, and to bring center stage what we tend to forget in the face of despair and hatred.

We are a nation which was built by unity.

Our greatest trait has been our perseverance.

We fought to maintain our freedom of speech.

Our founding fathers began our history with a declaration, why not begin our new future with one?




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