"So What, You’re Annoyed? " by Darylle A

     Oppression and character. Two simple things that coincide in ways that go unnoticed in societal behavior, past and present. We’ve known the history of utter suffering inflicted upon discriminated populations because we’ve repeatedly been told, tested on, and lectured in such topics that bring about the one conclusion: minority-labeled groups have never been treated equally in respect and it is important to publicize their stories to prevent further injustice. That is correct, yes? Though we’ve come to a point, especially in in this era, where voicing on the wrongfulness of oppression has become controversial and is laughed at or ridiculed. Why? This attitude comes from the lack of sympathy and goodness in a society so driven by social expectations to be insensitive and brutal that the very idea of being kind (or let alone, being humane) is no longer first instinct.
     Here are women, black and brown communities, immigrants, and the queer---some of the most mistreated groups we’ve come to know in an unending historic line of corruption against them. But they stand headstrong amongst themselves, having always voiced their hearts and fought for acceptance and a rightful place in a world that only brings them down. You can name every moment in the books, from the Seneca Falls Convention to Civil Rights, practically any

social movement you’ve learned in a history class. You can especially bring attention to modern recent occurrences and repetitive news from Black Lives Matter to the Women’s March and LGBTQ+ in “PRIDE.” The gist is we’ve seen and heard it all by now. Yet somehow, someway, the mere mention of something like feminism brings scoffs, rolled eyes, and the offensive “here we go again.” Yes, of course there has been progress in successfully giving rise to shaming social issues and bringing mass attention to the cries of the abused, but brutal discouragement always comes back to bite. So-called minorities are bought up in your daily conversations, a family party, lunch, Twitter! And then come crude side comments or refusal to elaborate on discussion because the topic is “too sensitive.” This lives in today’s culture, in today’s land of social media, and no one has seemed to really acknowledge the fact that tyranny is loud and thriving, hidden in plain sight.
     In truth, this has never been a political discussion. As much as it may seem to be, this is not some state of the art liberal agenda that’s brushed off the shoulder because one thinks it’s irrelevant or overrated. Neither is it worth the debate under a government to choose whether a particular group deserves human rights or not. It’s the matter of people losing their own being, their own conscience and morality of acting on concern, and how simple it is to be a righteous person. The desire to inflict hate upon others is something that shouldn’t come into play. Call it cliché all you want, but how is it that something as easy as being good-hearted is not being put to use as women who cry for justice from sex trafficking, or innocent black teenagers being shot to the ground, go silenced. These are discussions that should not be deemed controversial to begin

with. No government, no authorities, no rules in play because there should not be guidelines on how to have a soul.
     The problem lies in us. Is it you that gets annoyed in conversation about social issues? Are we sure goodness lies within us all the time? Or when necessary? It’s simple. You are not in the right space to be irritated or foul towards oppressed peoples pleading for equality. It is time we put ourselves in check, to take accountability for our ​own​ ​character​, to be kind. So what, you’re annoyed? Aim your irritability to those around you who lack in sympathy and most of all, heart.