America isn’t safe; strive for your rights as citizens

Nov. 23-Dec. 6, 2015

Rachel Librach
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Two years every young adult should recognize as a crucial turning point in American history are 2015 and 2016.

It would be nice to believe that we are too young to concern ourselves with problems in the world or think that if we live a privileged lifestyle we won’t be affected by any of it. But this would just be lying to ourselves.

Threats from ISIS, the lost faith in our police force, stricter gun control laws, dwindling military forces and the increasing mentality of entitlement have jeopardized our rights as American citizens.

Freedom, one of the founding ideals of this nation that made us great, helped lay the bedrock for the American dream, but today our freedoms are few and far between.

If the ISIS attacks in France have taught us anything, it’s that we are not safe.

After the Paris attacks, ISIS threatened America, claiming they have small armies in 15 states that are prepared to strike at any moment.

I want to ask you to ignore these threats until they go away, but I can’t. I won’t.

We need to take our heads out of the sand and face these issues.

Our generation is full of opinionated, motivated and dedicated individuals prepared to fight for their rights and the rights of the innocent. We can make a difference.

We can’t let these threats take away the ideals the men and women of this country have sworn to protect.

We cannot let our patriotism die and replace it with an expectation that our government or some higher authority will cure our problems and make everything better.

People are being murdered now. Our liberties are being threatened now. We have to take a stand and get involved, now.

All it takes is one day at the theater or park that could suddenly turn into your worst nightmare.

We are going to college in hopes of securing a better future for ourselves. But what good is our future if it is deprived of all that we hold dear?

Should this message scare you? I hope so.

Maybe it will be through this fear that we as a nation can finally unite for a common goal, and that is to secure our freedoms, liberty and the American dream.

The question is not whether these threats will affect us, but when they will.

Our world and way of life is under siege. The choices we make in this lifetime will shape the way our nation operates for years to come.

Don’t allow yourself to become desensitized to the issues around you. Be proactive in your studies, in global events and in conveying your opinions.

Our choices have an impact. Our opinions have a voice. Our future is depending on our participation in the present.