VASQUEZ: Get angry

W

e do not live in a perfect world. Anybody who tries to tell you reality is full of rainbows and butterflies is lying. Our world encompasses the full spectrum between good and bad. There is no sense in ignoring the negatives. The only thing that matters is our reaction to them.

If we lived in a perfect world, there would be no injustice. There would be no hate. There would be no war. There would be no ignorance. Unfortunately, all of these things are present in our society. Sometimes they scream at us from the caps-locked headlines in a newspaper. Other times they are a subtle whisper barely louder than the wind that floats through the cracks of our homes.

It doesn’t matter what form they take in our lives. They seep through the fissures in our minds and float through our bloodstreams into our hearts. They are as much a part of us as the limbs that hold us together.

It’s daunting to realize how much of an impact these things have on us, but it’s even more disconcerting to realize how much we actually influence them. They are a part of our society because we created them, fostered them, and let them run free. But it doesn’t have to be this way. The extremities on the negative side of our spectrum can be fought. We created them. We can defeat them.

How? Through action. Through words and protests. By not accepting ignorant irrationality. By refusing to submit to the status quo. By getting angry. Really angry.

I often wonder why people do not get more involved in important issues and causes. It proves that there is a desensitization of our society. We think someone else will stand up for that. We delude ourselves into thinking things will take care of themselves. We’re afraid or pessimistic or apathetic. We don’t think things will change, so why bother kicking up a fuss? We don’t want to expose ourselves with an opinion that will invite floods of criticisms and insults, regardless of how just and noble the cause is.

This is wrong. This only encourages the negatives. They feed off of our indifference and grow in the emptiness of our voices. Our world needs to change. We are the dormant superheroes of our society. We need to wake up and realize this is our future. Unless we do something, it is not going to change. It is time to let the anger at the injustice and ignorance fuel our brains and our words. This is not the time to be silent. This is the time to shout from the rooftops into the core of inhumanity.

Let yourself get swept up in a cause. Allow yourself to be carried forward to the other end of the spectrum. Work to restore our world and eradicate its nastiest details. Don’t hold back because you think you won’t make a difference. And definitely don’t stop yourself out of fear.

Find something that sparks your passion, something that is contributing to the wrongness of society, something that be changed through powerful action and awareness. Get your facts straight and then kick up a storm. Get angry about the way things are. Encourage everyone around you to join you in your efforts. We are not going to get anywhere unless we actively show our strength. We have so much power and potential. We can do something worthwhile with our time. We can decrease the negativity in our world. We can be the start of a better era.

We cannot afford to be dormant any longer. We are the voice of the future. The actions of our generation will determine the course of the world. We cannot passively watch these years go by and casually observe from the sidelines. Do not let the chips fall where they may. Pick them up and drop those chips in strategic locations. Make sure they cause plenty of chaos.

Don’t ever let them silence you. What you have to say is important. It is relevant. It is revolutionary. To quote one of my favorite movies, “No matter what anyone tells you, words and ideas can change the world.” So walk outside and shout at the top of your lungs. Make a mess of things. Stand up for what you believe in. Never stop fighting.

Dany Vasquez is a sophomore in the College of Communication and a weekly columnist for The Daily Free Press. She can be reached at vasquezd@bu.edu.