The whole world obsessively followed the Depp v. Heard trial religiously as more important issues were happening around the world. And now, the fight to end gun violence has taken precedent as more and more shootings have taken place in the U.S. Sure, there is something to be said about the fact that it seems more people are talking about a defamation trial between two celebrities than ending gun violence but there shouldn't be guilt felt for what we choose to submerge ourselves with.
Times are tough. Tougher than ever, it seems for the younger generations and people are terrified of what they will see on the news next. A lot of us have the out of sight out of mind approach to a lot of upsetting things because life is already anxiety-ridden enough. We feel helpless, like we have no control over anything, that we should let the other people handle it, and make a difference.
What could we possibly do?
This is a dangerous approach to take but one that is all too common in society. We need to do better, we can be interested in the goings-on in the celebrity world while also being an advocate for very important world issues. Yes, the Depp and Heard trial was an important thing to understand as it touched on domestic violence from the men's perspective, and reignited the belief that women can be the abuser too. It gives hope that men should be able to come forward with stories of being abused by their female partners and they will be believed. This is great, yes, and I supported Depp throughout this whole thing and am overjoyed he won. However, there is more work to do on other things. Gun violence is the first thing that pops into my mind when I think of all the things we need to fight for.
I live in Canada where gun laws are strict and are in favour of the people, of the civilians, but as we know, that is not the case in other places, specifically in the U.S.
If you're wondering what you can do, or if there is anything you can do, there are a lot of resources available and lots of ways to get involved. Every little bit helps and this is not even about making a donation, you can get involved just by educating yourselves on the issues at hand, sharing articles and resources with friends and followers on social media, voting, showing up at a march, sending emails to senators and people of Parliament. We need to make such a commotion the people in power have no choice but to listen.
So yes, keep up to date with celebrity news, social media trends, movies, music anything else that captures our attention, but also know that we the people can make a difference, however small. Whether it is sharing a link on social media that helps raise awareness, donating a dollar, or expressing our outrage on the things we do not agree with. The time is NOW.
Check out these great resources and let's make our voices LOUD.
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