"An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind." -Mahatma Gandhi
Over the past week, I have found myself at a loss for words each time I've turned on the news. Every headline about Alton Sterling, Philando Castile and the tragedy in Dallas, has struck a chord inside my heart. This week has been extremely eye-opening. On Monday, July 4, our nation came together to celebrate a day of unity and independence however, the news headlines that came out in the days that followed are evidence of how divided our nation truly is. We are divided in terms of race, gender, sexual orientation and political affiliation. My heart aches for this reason. My heart aches for our nation.
My heart aches for every elementary school child that has been taught that racism is a relic of the past. These children will be forced to someday come to the realization that racism is still present in our country. In elementary school, we were taught about racism during February, during Black History Month. I remember learning about African American people being forced to sit in the back of the bus and drink from separate water fountains. This is what I thought racism looked like. I also naively thought that racism no longer existed. It was not until I was older that I realized that racism, racial profiling and racial discrimination is still very much alive. Nobody should have to fear being murdered because of the color of their skin. This breaks my heart because in so many ways, I thought our nation has made sizable strides when it comes to social reform. Unfortunately, this does not always seem to be the case.
My heart aches for every police officer that has been criticized or targeted because of the irresponsible actions of complete strangers. There are good and bad apples in every profession, but unfortunately, the bad officers are the ones that get put in the media's spotlight. The mission of law enforcement is to protect citizens and serve the law. I have friends and family members that are police officers. I am scared for them. Nobody should have to fear being murdered because of their chosen profession. A vast majority of the men and women serving in law enforcement are not ill-intended or evil. We can not generalize a whole profession because of the unforgivable acts of some officers.
My heart aches for the friends and family of the victims of the awful tragedies that have taken place. Not only are they having to deal with the devastating circumstance of losing a loved one, but the reality of the situation is constantly being shoved in their faces. For weeks, the media capitalizes on these stories. Day after day, the media replays the videos exploiting the victim's very last moments of life. It makes it seem like these media outlets count on millions of people to tune in and watch a person die.I understand that it is necessary for the media to inform the public of current events, but it is disgusting to think that some media outlets may spotlight controversial topics in order to get viewers. Monetizing and exploiting heartbreak is shameful. It breaks my heart to think that these families are unable to take a break from the horrific pain that are suffering from.
I sometimes find myself developing a pessimistic outlook on the world we live in. With today's multiple 24-hour news outlets and social media platforms, it is easy for us to become immersed in the news of controversy and tragic events. Constantly focusing on these awful atrocities can make life seem burdensome. Because of this, many people begin to lose faith in humanity. I often have to remind myself about all the good there is in the world. Unfortunately, we do not hear about the people that have done great deeds as often, but it is important that we take the time to reflect on the billions of wonderful people that are in our world. As the late Fred Rogers once famously said, "When I was a boy, and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'" I strongly believe that there are billions of helpers in the world and the good out weighs the bad each and every day. My only word of advice to anyone reading this article is to try to make time to find the diamonds in the rough. Although we may often find ourselves blinded by the flaws of society, we must remind ourselves that people do wonderful, loving and compassionate things for one another each and every day. My heart is rejoicing because of this.
