Dear Alina, The world is a changed place. I used to say that humanity has a disposition for conflict and the dream for ‘world peace’ was just that, a wish manifested in our minds while we slept. I desperately wanted the diversity amongst people to be lauded as a testament to the strength of our individuality rather than being exploited as a motivation for hatred. I wanted a harmony that encouraged us to understand and love one another. Well, I have exciting news for you; we are a few steps closer to such concord. Ten years ago, you proudly protested the plague of racism alongside other advocates for justice, other friends. You yelled for freedom from racial injustice and social inequities until your voice went hoarse. But you weren’t alone. Millions of people around the globe shared your conviction, recited the victims’ names. Your generation rose to the challenge of acting on anti-racist education, discussing policing reform and even the abolishment of traditional policing as you knew it, and we contemplated the sincerity of America’s trademark claim to being the “land of the free”. I am relieved to tell you that the concerns your friends of color shared with you then, the fear of innocent interactions with law enforcement, have been quelled. You can both worry about the cost of your speeding ticket alone; your friend is certain she will make it home safely. Ten years ago, this was a sharp wake up call for you; racism was rampant around you and you were privileged to be blind to it. As Jews in the former Soviet Union, your parents’ story was akin to a tale that is told far too often, of being disadvantaged and oppressed due to what you look like or what you believe in. For your parents and yourself, the United States has been a welcome beacon of freedom where your opportunities for success and a peaceful life have been protected, where your Jewish ethnicity isn’t devilishly branded on your passport. Why wasn’t it like this for everyone? These last ten years, the citizens of the United States, and worldwide, have dutifully unlearned inherent biases and prejudices. I, alongside my generation, have now persuaded that this fear of mere existence has no place in our contemporary society. The world joined in a chorus of outrage, our rebellion was acknowledged, and our changes were instituted. The world no longer has a place for racism. Today, the system of institutionalized oppression has been dismantled and the color of your skin, the religious garb you wear, and your native tongue do not chip away at your opportunity to succeed. Minority neighborhoods are neither over-policed nor disproportionately incarcerated. All communities have equal access to excellent education, social support, and a variety of community services. Any act of racial favoritism, individual or systemic, is severely condemned. Law enforcement is reformed and trustworthy; civilians call on departments that offer specialized assistance for various emergency situations, while effective gun control and economic relief have made our communities safer. Now, there is truly an equitable platform to launch from. We no longer white-wash our history; we recognize the insurmountable importance of black Americans in building these United States. We were heard, and the country is a better place for it. Now, I am a peacemaker. I am a diplomat. I collaborate with different nations to found peaceful states, ensure unity, and guarantee access to a higher quality of life. I am an advocate for those who fall victim to needless war, terrorism, and inequality. My mission is to ensure religious and racial differences no longer have gravity, so the world can find peace.We now progress at a groundbreaking rate; climate change is slowing, terrorism is being subdued, and hunger is being eradicated- all because my generation became the change they wished to see in the world. This isn’t a utopia; we simply work in pursuit of a world that human beings deserve. After years of global outrage and unrest, new leaders established a discourse where everyone is heard, and the wish of world peace can be granted. You’re not too young; start conversations and be diligent in making your dreams of justice a reality. |
