It is naive to think that our world is perfect, that everything is fine, and there is nothing else we need to accomplish as a society. That apathy can be excused under the notion that we are so advanced in the 21st century, and we've come so far that we can not stop advancing. Yet, just because our personal worlds may not feel the affect of persecution, injustice, or mistreatment does not mean that these things do not exist. We cannot pretend that other's struggles do not exist simply because we haven't felt the weight of them ourselves.
Just because I've never been affected by the wage gap (yet), had my healthcare rights taken away from me (yet), or suffered abuse or mistreatment due to my gender does not mean that I shouldn't give my heart and soul for those who have been hurt. If it's not me, then it could be my mother, cousin, daughter, friend. It could very well one day be me. If could very well one day be any of us. The sin of privilege is having the power to have your voice be heard, and consciously choosing not to exercise it.
I am a straight, white, cis, christian female. I acknowledge that based on how society has evolved in this century, I am more likely to be deemed fit in one way or another. I am less likely to face discrimination for my identity. I won't be racially profiled, or prosecuted for my sexual orientation. People won't automatically be on the defensive when they learn of my religion. Yet, despite being spared all these injustices, I cannot turn a blind eye to those who are not. The greatest responsibility of privilege is to become a voice for the voiceless, or those who have otherwise lost theirs after screaming for so long.
I do have to acknowledge that this does not mean I will probably never face hardship or trials. To acknowledge privilege does not negate any hard work it took to gain that privilege; some we are born with, like with our identities, and some are the product of blood, sweat, and tears. This does not go to say that some people's problems are more important than other's. It simply means that with any power comes responsibility. If we have any sort of platform, we should be obligated to use it, no matter the cause or scale.
In today's social and political climate, can we afford to be apathetic? Can we afford to watch others struggle while we sit on the sidelines? I know that this question doesn't come with a straight answer, but at the end of the day, all it really comes down to is this: We are all human, and we all know what it means to hurt and be hurt. Regardless of the medium with which we came to know it, we have all been taught in one way or another to love thy neighbor as thyself. So when society metaphorically hands us a megaphone, we shouldn't shy away from an opportunity to be heard. The world will only start to change when those who have the power start to utilize it for the better. So, hear us roar.
