Dear little Lila,
I want you to write an update for this article in about 14 years. You will only be 18 then, but I’m confident you will be quite capable of the task. The young activist that you have already become alongside your parents and the things you experience with them will have prepared you for this challenge.
What will The System look like when you reach adulthood?
The System is built on politics. And our one way to participate in it is through elections. But how does the rest of that system work? Does it even work at all? If it does, who does it really benefit?
I’ll tell you who: It benefits the privileged few. Most likely that does not include you.
While we work like slaves – trying to make ends meet from paycheck to paycheck – beneficiaries of The System seldom introduce themselves. If the silent majority continues to sit idly by and not hold our elected officials accountable for inequality, you might one day find yourself experiencing challenges that most of the homeless community have been facing for years.
You might become a forgotten and ignored part of society.
When we ignore, look down on and misjudge anyone as lacking awareness or ability – we have become responsible for the continuation of a system we know is broken. Down to its foundation. This broken system will continue to do what it has been doing for generations – forgetting and ignoring the downtrodden – if we let it.
Right now, The System counts on us digesting the false propaganda that our politics are working. If we continue allowing government officials to treat their most vulnerable constituents immorally, we cannot complain if we find ourselves propelled into the ever-increasing ranks of the homeless.
Do you really think The System cares about you or me? It’s nothing personal. It’s strictly business. It is what it is. It is perception of truth, rather than realization of truth. Those that see this reality must decide what part to play in it: damage or damage control? Again, if we sit idly by and say or do nothing, we become part of the problem and not the solution.
Modern politics can be boiled down to the use of intrigue and strategy to obtain power or control. But they are sustained by inaction. With this column, I attempt to see through that manipulation with you as we build awareness of the need to take action and eradicate this homeless epidemic before it reaches you as well.
Let’s open our minds and eyes. Let’s lift our voices in unity. For you. For me. For Lila.
