The United States of America has always positioned itself as being a beacon of hope, of democracy, and a guiding light for the rest of the world. Yet, few can say our nation does not have issues so systemic that it does not make one question the validity to its claims of glory. Just looking at the modern day, America struggles with effectively combating rapid global climate change, a justice system that frequently fails at upholding the bar it attempts to portray to the world and a migrant crisis amongst the most severe in the world. Alongside all of these issues, the democratic government feels so separated from people and monolithic in its approach that I would not blame anyone for believing that nothing can change. Yet America has faced countless crises before and time and time again it has faced it head on due to one great strength:the indomitable will of the people. Time and time again the people of America have forced change and kept the nation alive. I experienced this will head on when, one month back, I had the opportunity to visit Washington D.C. as part of my school’s delegation to the Ignation Family Teach-In for Justice (IFTJ), wherein I experienced and took part in the willpower I had learned so much about.
IFTJ is an annual convention wherein thousands of students, teachers and activists from various Jesuit schools, colleges and parishes from across the nation convene to discuss, work on solving, and connect with congressional representatives regarding various social justice issues. Throughout the convention I heard about speakers talk about a variety of topics, from relatively recent issues such as the Israel-Hamas conflict or the Russo-Ukrainian War to issues we’ve faced for decades, such as the death penalty or racial inequality. I learned of various methods of advocacy and heard impassioned speeches from people my own age talking about the very same things I had heard so many adults say were impossible to begin to address, starting right there in front of me. Then, on the final day of the convention, I had the golden opportunity to directly engage with our democracy. Every student was divided into groups of various sizes (mine consisted of 4 students and 1 adult supervisor) and would meet primarily with the staffers of various congressmen and congresswomen. I had the chance to meet with a staffer from Congressman Blumenhaur, where we talked about all different kinds of issues we personally knew about, had seen near our homes and wanted solutions to. In turn, the staffer talked about what Congressman Blumenhaur was advocating for, current developments in the House of Representatives and the general political atmosphere. But most impactfully, she actually took notes on what we said so that she could look into what we were talking about and see what she could talk to Congressman Blumenhaur about bringing to the table. Seeing these staffers, who were so intimately connected to the very people that decided the future of our country, hang on to every word we said and try to understand the issues we held was so fulfilling. In fact, she was so committed to hearing us out that the Staffer even chose attend a meeting late in order to not have a time pressure when talking to us.
This experience as a whole felt like a “show don’t tell” moment that every English teacher encourages their students to write about. I’ve been told, practically my entire life, that the future lay in the hands of the next generation, that we ran the train of change. I had been told that it was only through sheer willpower that some of the most ground breaking and important developments in American history had formed. And yet, until this trip, I felt so disconnected from it. I could not fathom how everyday people, such as myself, could in any way shape the course of history beyond the occasional vote. Yet, going on this trip illustrated just how wrong that assumption was. Instead, I was shown that we do have a strong voice. Instead, as cliché as it may sound, I was shown that I, that all of us, had the power to move nations, and that it is my duty to never lose hope in the power of change we all hold.
Today, the United States stands at a crossroads. Life in this world has become a turbulent mess as the entire world tries to recover from the effects of the pandemic and extremist and violent movements rock countries considered immune to such insanity. The United States is uniquely positioned to heavily influence the way that other countries react to this crisis, as it has time and time again. Yet, currently it falters, and it instead seems to head down the path of becoming a warning of what not to be. However, we, the citizens of the United States, hold the power to change that path, from the way we talk to each other, to the way we talk to our elected officials to the way we vote, and no one can take that power away from us. So let’s steer this country towards a better future, together.
