Act Now: Neutrality Allows Injustice to Thrive
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“If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.” — Desmond Tutu. Neutrality hurts both sides, especially those affected by social injustice. Social justice is an issue that must continue to be fought for, as it promotes equal opportunities — such as economic, political, and social — for everybody, regardless of differences — for instance, race and gender. Gun violence and control over one’s body autonomy are often important debates in the fight for social justice.
A common topic in society is the control of guns available to the American public. How has the lack of support for gun control affected the lives of many promising young American children? It controls the length of their lives. Currently, “Guns are the leading cause of death among American children and teens aged 19 and younger” (Sandy Hook Promise). To know that a gun could harm not only me but also my friends and family is terrifying. Already, there have been school shooting threats received at my school. Thankfully, the threat turned out to be a false alarm, but what if it wasn’t? What if I lost my life that day? Guns should be used to protect lives, not to harm or threaten them. Animal Farm provides an example of using guns as a way to threaten individuals. The dogs that Napoleon used were similar to the KGB, which used guns to rain terror on Soviet citizens. Specifically, guns were used to “spray chemicals that induced heart attacks” (Munn).
This leads to a prevalent issue in our society. We are constantly under the stress of attacks, foreign and internal. I believe that the cause of this are problems in the education system. It puts a lot of stress on students which could lead to dangerous outbursts that hurt people surrounding them.
The debate over body autonomy often arises when discussing a woman’s right to abortion. Some people say it’s morally wrong, while others argue it’s a medical necessity. Regardless, Roe v. Wade, a Supreme Court case that protected abortion rights, was overturned in 2022, ultimately ending women’s right to abortion. When this court case was overturned, it meant that regardless of how you became pregnant, consensually or not, you could no longer get an abortion. In Georgia, Amber Thurman passed away after “doctors delayed necessary care due to Georgia's six-week abortion ban” (Walrath-Holdridge). Many more women are going to die from this abortion ban. As a woman who might need an abortion in the future, what does this mean for me? Will I lose my life if I don’t have safe access to an abortion?
What are the right ways to fight this? Protesting is one of the most popular forms of activism. When protests happen, they are usually broadcast on social media, which sends a message that something is wrong. Signing petitions is another popular form of protest. You can also volunteer on street corners, which spreads awareness more locally.
In conclusion, the fight against social injustice is essential. Protesting, signing petitions, and volunteering are all ways to help spread awareness. Issues of gun violence and body autonomy will never be resolved unless awareness is raised. As Desmond Tutu said, victims do not appreciate your neutrality.
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