National Unity

No matter how much we have to fight for our nation, unity is the only way to accomplish this. Without unity in this country, there is no nation. Our government must recognize the importance of unity and come together to overcome the challenges threatening Americans' lives. The events in Charlottesville, VA have shown us all that unity has been lost in this country. This was a tragic day and it's time to bring about real change. I feel like it's my duty to help get these people back on their feet and focus on healing as well as supporting them with resources as they recover.

I am so glad that someone stepped up and stood up for their right to free speech. One thing I would never do is turn into one of those ignorant protesters who don't know what's going on and think that they're perfectly fine with violence in a place like that. I would say it is sad that these students are being treated as if they were something less than humans. It's very interesting that people had to take such a high stance on something so trivial. At first glance, this might seem like some sort of joke but what people didn't realize is that this event really showed just how crazy things can get when you let your views get out of control. They were expressing themselves differently, which is why I believe there will be many more protests against police brutality and other issues.

I'm not sure why people took issue with the protest when it seemed like nothing was happening. Yes, there was violence being displayed but this is still taking place at universities nationwide, even though most of the university professors agree that it's just stupid to show up and cause a scene. Why did they choose to take this path? After seeing that people took to the streets, it made me wonder. What did they want? For me, it seems like everyone wants to give a statement, and then everyone goes away. We want unity, but if everyone is going to go their separate ways, why should we stay united together?

I find myself wondering which side is right. Is it going to be the mob or the peacekeeper? Most likely both sides feel threatened by each other and that makes sense. But then when the situation gets too bad, it doesn't make perfect sense. A person saying that they're upset over something and yelling at someone else has no purpose for their anger. So what does that mean then? When one side decides to call in the support of another, should we also stand up for the same cause? How about when people try to use force against others, are we supposed to step in and help? And most of these riots have started because of politics that shouldn't be involved with school and how we learn. However, there are times when we disagree and that's why people need to understand that we are on different sides of the debate. Now my question is, were these students protesting because the president said black lives matter? Or were they protesting because they wanted to protect the rights of Black women?

I feel like no matter how you look at it; it was an important message that people needed to hear. People needed to remember that we are fighting back against injustice and inequality. You can't ignore this past year because it goes against everything we love about America and its freedoms. Many of those people are scared because they're worried about losing equality because people are using their voices to speak out about the injustices they have faced and the way things have changed. These people are facing racism, sexism, and many other forms of discrimination that are still present in today's society. Some days, they can't even talk to their children properly and they're afraid of what they'll see during those conversations. There are enough problems with white privilege today if that's what you want from yourself. As for African American victims, yes, we're tired and maybe feeling helpless now but we've also got the power within. Let's go after this goal together. That's better than giving up in hopes that someday soon we'll get there. Until then, we need as many voices to be heard, especially amongst young people, because if people get scared, we won't have any future. I believe that we are all connected and no one person can tackle the world alone. Each and every person can help get the conversation started.