We live in a society where we should be at our highest peak, but in reality might be at our largest downfall. We’re in a place where technology can do an abundance of tasks, thousands of cultures spread across the world, and medical advancements are happening almost everyday. In fact, four astronauts are currently sailing across space at this very moment, going farther than humankind has ever gone. However, when brainstorming ideas for this month’s issue, I became overwhelmed with the fact that I struggled to think of something positive in society.
Let’s start off with what’s going on in the United States at this very moment. It almost seems impossible for there to be something new for people to criticize everyday, but that is the reality for many Americans. President Donald Trump has been on a rampage lately, and not just through his tweets. He’s been using his presidential power (unconstitutionally) to attack communities inside, and outside the U.S. He has made people who previously oppressed their prejudiced thoughts comfortable enough to say them out loud.
People are actively dying on the street due to his administration, and many of the soldiers that MAGA claims to respect are dying overseas in wars the country doesn’t belong in. According to Aljazeera, about 2,000 people have been killed because of U.S-Israeli attacks in Iran. Many of these people are civilians as well. America is sending billions of dollars to Israel, money that can be used for all the issues its own country has.
Speaking of Israel, Palestine is still actively suffering from attacks. An article from Brown University states that over ten percent of the Palestinian population has been killed, with a total of 236,505 casualties since 2023. Generations of families have been erased, and schools and hospitals have been targeted despite having no weapons or intel. Just places where people are trying to survive. Despite the many who have been killed directly due to a lack of food and water. This should be considered crimes against humanity, but instead many are actively praising and supporting Israel. As a matter of fact, the popular food-chain Mcdonalds received major backlash because of their previous donations of free meals to Israeli soldiers (to which they now say they don’t support any government involvement.)
On the note of Earth in general, the actions of humankind have left a lasting impact on our planet. According to Climate.gov, the past decade was the warmest ever recorded. In fact, Antarctica has been the place that’s fueled cycles to regulate Earth’s temperature. Each year, the ice sheets (which are larger than the United States and Mexico combined) are melting faster than the snow can handle. Sea levels are rising more than twice as fast as they were in the 90s.
Countries are also becoming more “money-hungry”, doing everything they can to acquire oil for military, transportation, and more since it is the backbone of the economy. Its collection causes ecosystems to be destroyed, oil spills to be common, it could be harmful for animal and plant species. The process of obtaining oil involves drilling deep into the earth, and the land used to do this is previously destroyed to make room for the oil rigs.
And it’s ironic, how so many people voted for now President Donald Trump, whose slogan during his Presidential election consisted of the phrase “Drill, baby, drill.”
It’s unfortunate that a group of young students, like myself and the others in my group, struggled to think of an idea to be hopeful about. Younger kids should be hopeful about the world, and not only see all the negativity and inhumanity that occurs everyday. Although times at the moment do seem like it’s going completely downhill, I want to remind everyone that there are good things happening, even if it’s not currently headlining the news.
There is so much world news happening that’s overshadowing the good, but it still exists. Our generation especially has to not only figuratively, but literally look to the “bright side.” People are actively fighting for a change in the world. As a senior in high school, I can understand the feeling of hopelessness and uselessness. However, these are the moments in which this generation should stand together, and continue to rally support and coverage for positive change.
Written by Victoria Gonzalez, Editor-in-Chief