It's Time to Find a Solution

Jul 18, 2008 - 21:01 PM PST

I often find myself questioning the current state of our countries situation in my head. For me, there is so much that I view that is wrong with the society that we live in. Something that really irritates me is that we live in a society where the fact that, in the political election, that fact that Hilary Clinton was a woman and Barak Obama is a black man. How can we consider ourself a fantastic society if people still are shocked that people other than a white male can be president. Now granted, I hate Hilary and such but it is not because of the fact that she is a woman. Actually it has nothing to do with the fact that she is a woman, it is because of her ideas and the way she went about trying to get office. It disgusts me that there is issues of sexism and racism that exist within our society. A lot of white individuals are afraid to touch the topic of racism and you know what... thats too bad because it is a very real part of our society. That people use the ever popular "excuses" such as "I didn't own slaves" and "I have black friends"... well good for you but that doesn't mean that you aren't responsible. Thats the first key to move past this issue that is plaguing our society, accepting the responsibility that we have within the issues of racism and white supremacy in todays society. Now, like many others I watched Barak Obama's speech on our current situation of racism, I actually watched it in my race and racism class in college. I understand that while running for president you really have to be careful to not really enter controversial issues but it really annoyed me how he simply went around the topics. There was not one time where he really took a stand on the issue, and if he did it was in using roundabout language that he got his point across. I don't know abut the rest of America but I know that I want a president who is going to stand up for what is right and for what he or she believes in. Poverty is another issue that is completely stepped over in our society. I have seen it firsthand, I have seen and listened to people who sleep on top of cardboard boxes and on doorsteps. I have handed out food to people who have stood outside a church or who were huddled close to a building. It is the most heartbreaking thing in the world but they are so gracious and I've been humbled by people who continually say "God bless you more than he already has." I have to say that as a 19 year old female to hear the stories of these people and hear the things that they have to say you get an entirely new outlook on life. Each thing that we as people have is a blessing and I don't understand how people can turn their backs on these individuals. Yes, not all people who are in that situation are gracious and genuinely appreciative but why don't they deserve what we have or at least deserve our help. It is our job to help these people who live all around us and we cannot just turn our backs on them. They are living beings with stories and lives and we turn them into enemies which is wrong. I want to live in a world where me being a woman doesn't affect my place in society because we all know that it does. Where those who don't have enough to eat can at least get enough to survive if not more than enough to get themselves back on track. Now some might say I am overly optimistic but why does that have to be optimistic... why can't that be real life. We can make it real life we just have to put in the effort and understand that there are real problems outside our doors that we need to start to solve. Thats the kind of world I want to live in, the world where we work towards solutions that will make our country and our world a better place to live in.