I’m just going to come out and say it. The biggest problem we face as a society is the way in which people treat one another. So many of the issues dealt with all over the world derive from this major problem. Assault, intolerance of race and religion, economic gaps, healthcare deficits, starvation, disease control, and care of those with different needs than ourselves are all examples of how careless our world has become. It may seem harsh, but it’s true. Our world has become so enthralled by certain advancements that we have overlooked basic issues that have manifested into matters of life or death. The crazy thing is, we are all the same.

The only reason any of us are treated badly is because of the way in which we are nurtured and the things we are continuously allowing ourselves to be exposed to. I mean maybe the people in The Giver had something. As terrible as that ignorant society in the story was, there is something to be said for how flawless the nurturing aspect of the family dynamic was. Of course, chemically taking away color, memory, and emotion would never be the right thing to do and regulations such as those would never be able to work so swimmingly for years on end. However, the idea of putting in complete equality and regulations on roles certainly could fix a lot of problems. Somewhere within all these ideals there must be balance. A kind of balance that must rely on compassion and free will.

How do we achieve this balance? Simply by having compassion and acting on your moral and legal right to free will. As citizens of this world we must have compassion for one another’s current situations, backgrounds, and possible futures. As citizens of America we must act on the morally granted and legally allowed free will that we have the luxury of having.

Somebody has to stand up; we all have to stand up. We must fight for the change this world needs and employ the sort of compassion that can break down the barriers of race, religion, economic standing, and geographic location.