The past few weeks have been filled with tragedy: Paris, Beirut, Syria, and countless other areas of the world have become victims of violence. Death and destruction fill the news. Among all the social media posts and articles, I found this poem by respected poet Warsan Shire:
The world is hurting. People are dying. Hate and Intolerance are pulling triggers and extinguishing lives. Ambivalent people are standing idly by and condoning violence with their silence.
The world is hurting. People are dying. We are too busy politicizing everything to stop and recognize that the numbers and statistics we are throwing around represent human lives. We can read horrific articles and terrifying firsthand accounts, but we can never truly understand the crippling fear and devastation these people are facing on a daily basis.
The world is hurting. People are dying. We debated about the red cups at Starbucks for weeks while men, women, and children lived every moment of every day of those weeks in fear. We live our lives of privilege, content with ignoring the pain and suffering surrounding us. It is easier to emotionally detach ourselves from these brutal situations; it is easier to pretend they are just stories.
The world is hurting. People are dying. There are weak and selfish attempts at justifying inaction. They hide their fear and ignorance behind the cries of "national security" and "protecting our own." Apathy in these situations of violence is not acceptable.
The world is hurting. People are dying. We need to wake up. Thoughts and prayers are positive ways to show our support, but they are not enough on their own. They must be accompanied by actions. You cannot put a band-aid on a gunshot wound and expect it to heal. We need to start holding ourselves accountable and stop neglecting our responsibility to our fellow people. If you can see all the suffering in this world and feel no inclination to help ease it, I question your humanity. Stop hiding behind flimsy excuses, and do something.
Help Syrian children. They've been uprooted and orphaned. They are about to face the cold winter with no food, water, or shelter.
Help end FGM. Girls around the world are dying as a result of this brutal and barbaric procedure.
Give children water. Every day hundreds of children die from causes related to lack of clean drinking water.
Volunteer at a local soup kitchen. Spend time in a homeless shelter. Donate to a cause you believe in. These acts seem small, but they make a difference. You don't have to change the world, you just have to change someone's world.
The world is hurting. People are dying. What are you going to do about it?
