Chapter 1: The Digital Lens

In this modern era, I perceive the world through a delicate glass screen, filled with an array of colors that blend together within its fragile frame. I can carry entire nations and vast oceans in my pocket, and every scroll transports me across the globe.

I consider myself a global traveler; I have absorbed every sight and embraced every language available to me. I’ve "scaled" the highest peaks alongside strangers without breaking a sweat or feeling the bite of the cold air.

Section 1.1: Witnessing Human Struggles

Recently, I observed a crowd celebrating Pride, feeling as if I were part of it. Yet, in stark contrast, I witnessed a police officer assault an elderly man simply for walking on the sidewalk. My inaction weighed heavily on me.

Subsection 1.1.1: The Horrors of Reality

I have seen devastating events unfold: a building crumbling in Beirut, a tornado ravaging a small town, and families in Ukraine uprooted by conflict. I remained passive, merely an observer.

I watched a heinous act as a terrorist drove across states to take innocent lives in a grocery store. I viewed the police hesitate for 40 minutes during an active shooter situation at a Texas school, preventing parents from rushing to their children, even threatening them with handcuffs and tasers.

Chapter 2: The Weight of Inaction

As I scroll through this seemingly endless stream of information, I observe our world shifting in an instant. Despite our advancements in technology and communication, wars rage on in this so-called 'modern age.'

My body has succumbed to a condition I dub 'couch-rage,' coupled with the pain of distance. The disconnect between my heart and my mind creates a torrent of emotions that gnaw at me, while my fingers bleed from the effort of online activism.

I try to convey my support:

"I see you, and I stand with you. How can I assist?"

"You are not alone."

"We need action! Are there protests nearby?"

"Who can I contact to effect change? What can I do?"

I crave rage, I yearn for anarchy. I long for my perception to align with reality, to make sense of the chaos displayed on that small screen.

I recall my first semester of college, the day Trump 'won' the election. My professor sought to address the fears that enveloped us, yet only half the class attended. He warned us to be afraid, for that day marked a choice for hate. It felt like a step backward in time, as if our nation were engaged in a cold civil war, fought in the shadows of the internet.

Will things improve?

Cue yet another global pandemic, ongoing protests, and further erosion of human rights…

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