Op-Ed Essay (Final & Revised)

Abstract: In this essay, I researched the whispers of atrocities in the United States and why they were slowly being inaccessible to society through the media. If I had more time, I would honestly rewrite this whole essay. I did change some minor mistakes in wording but I could’ve used the evidence in a more effective way. Also, having set all my thoughts in a document and slowly taking the most important points would’ve helped my essay’s points stick in a way I would be proud of. 

Our Society is Stuck: Movement After Movement

“See something, say something”: A phrase we often hear to stand up against something we seem to believe is “bad”. But, how often do you necessarily see something and say something about it? Every New Yorker on the train seems to mind their business, attentive to their phones, regardless of the homeless asking for money, or the NYPD making an appearance in the subway cars. As a society, we tend to only grasp what we think is valuable, beneficial, and relevant to our personal lives. But, it is important to recognize when we need to come together as a society when groups in our communities are consistently oppressed, mistreated, and stripped from their rights. It is a rare occurrence when we all come together for one cause and keep it active in our protests to make things right. Persistence is the only way to reach a goal for all; equality and justice for all, because that is what America stands for, right? 

Take the Black Lives Matter movement, at its peak in 2020, after the killing of many innocent Black Americans, many decided to stand up for the Black community. But, some only did it while the movement was popular. Every social media persona with a huge platform ensured they had ‘BLM’ in their profile to avoid cancel culture. Participating in the trending movement was a must for content creators, whether or not they actually agreed to what the movement stood for. Fast forward to today, and we won’t be able to find many profiles with ‘BLM’ in their bios anymore. The consistent oppression of many marginalized groups is still present in America, so what are we doing about it as a society? History has shown us how essential it is to reveal the negligence of countries like America. The thing is, the division in this country, lack of knowledge, and quick advancement from movements is not going to end any real conflict. We can’t just move on from the censor being put on the ‘T’ from ‘LBGT’ which is trying to silence the trans people from the queer community. Go forward and move on, but there’s an ongoing conflict in Palestine where children are being killed. Latinos are still being deported as I write this essay, but move on, and choose the next movement. We should be able to stand up for what we truly believe in without fear or doubt, not just because it’s a trending topic, and it’ll get you popularity. 

Zuri Stevens wrote “Why Am I Hearing Less and Less About Black Lives Matter?” back in 2020, but I wonder what she would say about the movement, and the silence of society towards it today. Stevens expresses the annoyance of performative allyship but it was something she missed despite the hypocrisy and fakeness of it all, “because it at least brought some continued visibility to the BLM movement” (Stevens). The tranquility amongst Americans is destructive towards those who genuinely need a better system to support their basic human rights. As censorship issues into our country, billionaires become the heads of our government, we should expect quiet and stillness. The people without knowledge have no power to stand up against any dictators and oppressors they come across. Slowly, that is what America is becoming. 

In “Billionaires Have a Grip on Our Democracy”, columnist Bridig Baleno, explores the correlation between the wealthy and political power, when there’s a convergence, it’s usually against and not for the people. Donald Trump began his presidential term last month, in January, and we are already seeing “a significant number [of billionaires] exerting their power to influence political decisions” (Baleno). Our democracy is in a fearful state, so it’s terrifying to even be consistent about these issues, but it is the only way we can create any change. We’ve come far from social polarization but it does not stop at one singular movement. “Given the profound implications for democratic governance, activists and some political leaders argue for stronger reforms” despite the challenges they face, they still speak up, and fight for what they think is right (Baleno). But, many still decide to mind their business, go along with their day, and stay on the high road when it comes to political issues. But, political issues affect our everyday lives. We are a governed and controlled society. There are laws set in place for us to follow and guide us to be civilized, but if something is morally incorrect, and justice is not being served, it is the responsibility of the people to do something about it.

It’s normal to feel defeated though after being consistent. People crave change when something goes wrong and usually in politics, a solution is not placed quickly enough to satisfy all parties involved. In “Speaking of Psychology: The psychology of protest and activism”, Lauren Duncan chats with an expert about movements back in 2020 and the motivation society needs to pressure progression towards multiple issues in one of her podcast episodes. Duncan explains that initiatives like the Women’s Rights movement have been an ongoing political issue involving sexism and injustice towards women for decades, so it’s easy to see frustration in these groups (Duncan). It is clear that women are not treated as equally as men in this country and the “crisis of conscience” comes into place (Duncan). We understand that “basic human needs [are not] met and people are agitating for rights” (Duncan) and that is the point of it all. Being angry and frustrated are normal feelings that communities share when injustice is consistent in an already broken system. Recognizing the flaws of our leaders is the first step to awareness and setting an action to hold accountability, create change, and move forward without looking back again is the goal to progress as a society. There’s no use of using a movement as a trend when it does not create much impact in the long run. Equality may be something we never reach as a country and justice is something we may never see. But, what will we do in silence and stillness? If we don’t try to make an impact, it simply won’t happen. When you’re on the New York City subway and a homeless family comes up to you, you may want to turn away, but think about what that person has gone through. I’m not telling you to be a hero and give every homeless person a piece of your paycheck, but be consistent in creating change in a society that needs it right now. Don’t do things because social media tells you to. Find your own values and movements you care about that you want to be a part of. That’s where it all starts and it really does help the communities that are being turned from in America. Whether or not you like politics, politics will always have an impact in your life, and if it doesn’t you are greatly privileged. And you are one of the people that should and need to create that change because the power will always be in your hands.

Citations

Stevens, Zuri. “Why Am I Hearing Less and Less about Black Lives Matter?” Medium, ILLUMINATION, 12 Sept. 2020, medium.com/illumination/thats-all-folks-your-season-of-black-lives-matter-is-canceled-9f65a5934356.  

Baleno, Brigid. “Billionaires Have a Grip on Our Democracy.” Massachusetts Daily Collegian, dailycollegian.com/2024/04/billionaires-have-a-grip-on-our-democracy/. 

Duncan, Lauren. “Speaking of Psychology.” American Psychological Association, www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/protest-activism. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.