In the past year, I have noticed a wave of apathy making its way through countless citizens of the world, including Drake University students.
Israel’s horrific retaliation in the Gaza Strip has led to what is estimated to be over sixty thousand deaths. At least 124 journalists were killed last year, at least two-thirds of them in the Gaza conflict. Israel broke the Hamas ceasefire last week, killing at least 600 Gazans. And yet, I see no significant, loud outcry from Drake students.
Donald Trump and his devotees and fanatics around the country are going after freedom of the press, freedom of speech, segregation bans, education, people of color, LGBTQ+ rights and more. And yet, I see no significant, loud outcry from Drake students.
As a journalist, it is my job to inform the public. As a student journalist, I try desperately to inform a community of 4,600 as to what is going on outside our dorm rooms, campus and city. Despite my efforts, I cannot force people to seek out this information and I definitely can’t make them care.
A significant portion of Drake’s student body still does not know we have a school paper — I still often hear, ‘Wait, we have a newspaper?’ from those around me. When I ask my friends and family to consume the news, they still say it “doesn’t affect” them.
Do you know how selfish you sound when you defend your ignorance with, ‘It doesn’t affect me?’ You are outright admitting that you think of no one else but yourself.
American individualism has ruined our empathy.
We have pigeon-holed ourselves into only thinking of those in close proximity to us.
As Time Magazine wrote two years ago, it “no longer feels like America can hold together when we all exist… with little concern for collective health.”
We, as humans, are drawn to those who are similar to us. We rally behind our religious affiliation, political parties, ethnic groups and age range, almost neglecting those outside of those groups. Opposing sides view each other as the villains, ruining any possible connection or camaraderie – and of course, our government doesn’t help either. Our government is pitting us against each other by polarizing our political views. Will we let them?
The rhetoric of doing everything for oneself, or the prospective group, will ruin our society. America was built as the land of opportunity, but what will we do when that opportunity has been stripped from everyone outside our circles? When will we wake up and realize we could’ve been fighting for each other this entire time?
I know how easy it is to tune out, to value your mental health over whatever is happening in the news. Believe me, I’m weighed down by everything happening just as much as you may be. But think about it: In 20 years, when your children ask about the protests and movements happening now, what side will you say you took? One of apathy or one of compassion?
When did we stop caring? When, as American citizens, did we decide we didn’t care about those different from us enough to fight for them or, at the very least, stay informed on what’s hurting them? People around us are suffering, and yet we cannot be bothered to help or learn about them.
Now, I’m not asking for you to take to the streets and protest, but I am asking for you to simply care. I’m asking you to watch that 60-second TikTok video from a Gazan parent begging for money for their starving children all the way through instead of scrolling away in the first two seconds. I’m asking you to consume the news, to read about what others besides yourself are experiencing.
I’m asking you to start at square one, which is simply caring.
