They say they value freedom, but why is freedom only valued when it is for people who look like them? Why is gun violence only an issue when someone who thinks like them is targeted? Suddenly speaking up for your political beliefs is considered hate speech just because you disagree with those in power. In reality, there is nothing hateful about saying that gun restrictions are needed.
Every day, I find myself truly baffled by the headlines I’m seeing. “Can they actually do that? There’s no way it can get worse…” These sentences leave my mouth regularly.. It feels as though each day of life grows more dangerous and more unsettling. Anxiety is heightened as the air hangs thick around us. Yet every day, I hope and pray that maybe today’s the day the chaos and calamity stop. Citizens should be able to trust their government, especially their president. Yet right now, many are waking up each day to a new horrific presidential decree, press conference, or post. So I ask you and I ask myself, when will we be able to hold trust in our presidential administration again?
If you know me personally or have read anything on my page, you know that politics is one of my passion projects. I have no issue speaking up for causes I believe in or debating topics of importance. Our political ecosystem is changing by the millisecond, and for many, speaking up feels more nerve-wracking than in years prior. I’ve struggled to publish recently, as fear of the spoken word has been on all of our minds. Some tell me to play it safe, that I should be afraid of making waves with my opinions. I hold their words close, genuinely thinking about how to approach this political culture. Part of me agrees that keeping my mouth shut could be safer. However, that’s not who I am, and that certainly isn’t how I truly feel. As I listen to the fearful voices of those close to me, I think back on the pieces I have proudly published on this site. My introductory article as a freshman was one about Roe Vs Wade. In the weeks that followed, I tackled the issues of school shootings, gun violence, book bans, and the importance of protesting. Sure, I was nervous about pushback, but I didn’t adjust my publishing plans. Chances are, if I’ve had n opinion on a political topic over the last 4 years, I’ve published an article on it. You would think that now, as a senior, I’d feel more ready and impassioned to take on issues of substance. While I am, I also know that the government has recently had no problem silencing those brave enough to disagree.
Personally, I feel that this country no longer feels like a democracy. In a democracy, people are not censored or threatened with being fired if they disagree with those in power. I should not be nervous to comment on political issues that matter to me. In a time where advocacy and speaking up matter more than ever, it feels as though the consequences are greater. That being said, if you’re afraid of using your voice, you’re not alone. If you’ve seen those usually leading the charge stepping back out of fear, it does not mean that they’ve lost their spark for the cause. It means that they are human and are experiencing fear. The difference is stark, and I strongly encourage you to genuinely sit with it.
Since I was 9, there has been only one thing I’ve looked forward to about turning 18 years old- voting. I turned eighteen a month ago and embarrassingly have yet to register. I tried to register online at midnight on my birthday and was told I needed to register in person since I do not yet have a driver’s license. The night that the president won his second term, I cried so much my tears shook the room. I remember telling my mother in a panic that I’d never get to vote through my tears. She told me that my right to vote was protected through the Constitution. However, with so much of the Constitution being ignored, who’s to say that voting won’t be the next thing on the chopping block?
Simply, this country has felt like that of a dystopian novel(ICE agents taking the place of guards, forcing people to conform). The actions ICE has been taking are absolutely despicable. Every time I hear news of ICE being close to Winthrop(or worst case, actually here,) my stomach completely drops. Now you might be asking yourself why the white liberal girl cares about this issue? While I am not worried for myself, I am worried for every single target of their violence who lives here. No one deserves to be brutally abused or separated from their families just because the government says it’s okay. We need to stop pretending that seeing those unmarked black vans isn’t terrifying. No matter where you stand politically, seeing one should make you sick. Racial profiling has been a part of the United States since its founding, but this administration has taken things to a new level. The Supreme Court said that ICE agents can arrest anyone they hear speaking Spanish or anyone they have a suspicion of based on their appearance. Everything that ICE has done over the past 6 months is inhumane. Yet when the President is the architect for these acts of horror, ICE is given the message that they are simply acting accordingly. All they have done is destroy families, ruin lives, cause immense fear, and make the world a much darker place. How those agents sleep at night, I’ll never know.
While I do not agree with the hateful ideology and policies being talked about right now, I am not attacking those who disagree with me. America promises that free speech and differences of opinion are allowed. We do not all have to think the same; in fact, the only way we are truly able to grow is through hearing variations of opinions. Just because I disagree with those in power does not mean I feel the need to speak harshly about their supporters. I remember posting something about the No King’s Protest and having a friend of a friend dm me just to imply my opinion was wrong. However, I would never DM her because I disagreed with a post. At the end of the day, people are allowed to have their own opinions. I don’t have an issue with some believing differently than I do. I only have an issue when people go out of their way to attack someone for disagreeing. For a country founded on the ideals of free speech and healthy disagreements, this country grows farther from honoring these ideals by the second. At this rate, a time when the freedoms guaranteed in the First Amendment cease to exist is not a distant reality. Simply, if you are not scared of what is going on in this country, maybe it is time to start paying attention to the world around you. You can dismiss and distract all you want, but the flame burning our freedom grows stronger each day. If you aren’t scared of what is happening now, my only question is, when will you notice what’s really going on? Does it have to affect you personally before you see our new reality?
