Honor Our Freedom Fighters!

I am passionate about politics not because I love it, but because it is the way to change. This is particularly true for minority communities. I don't expect people to have the same passions as I do, nor is it my intention to change minds. However, I do feel that collectively, we take our rights and freedoms for granted.

It is black history month, which has always boggled my mind that we dedicate a month to it, since black history is American history. But I digress. When I think about the struggles during the Civil Rights' movement of the 60's, I always get emotional. And although I should feel lucky that I am the beneficiary of that movement— without having to go through the pain and heartaches, I wished I would have lived in those times when people—principally the young —cared about freedoms and human rights.

We are lucky to be citizens of the U.S. But many of us have forgotten our struggles, and the basic principles of our nation's foundation. Yes, it is great to be able to make money and form enterprises freely and easily. It is nice to be able to buy nice cars, send our kids to great schools, to buy nice clothes, homes, etc. But this nation was not formed on the basis of capitalism. Without freedom, we would not be able to do any of these things.

When gay people are not allowed to get married, when hard working immigrants who pay taxes are being deported and their families broken, when a woman's right to choose is threatened, when a child's access to a quality education is determined on the basis of a zip code and property taxes, and when someone is denied access to health-care because he or she can't afford to pay, that's not their problem. That is a violation of all of OUR freedom and human rights.

We take the voting process for granted. I hear people say all the time that there is no point to vote because all politicians are the same. For many, Democrats and Republicans only care about having political power for themselves and thus, voting is a waste of time. At the same time, these same people find themselves complaining about the system and how screwed up things are. It is our society's biggest disease, in my opinion, to complain and complain, yet not do anything to change the situation or only care when it's something that affects the individual. This is the damaging, all about ME complex of our American society today.

When it comes to the political parties, there are major differences that affect each and everyone one of us—directly and indirectly. Find out for yourselves what each stand for. Decide which one looks out for your interests, your family's, and your neighbors'. Participate in the process of changing policies. Call and write to your representatives, your senators, and tell them exactly what you want to change. Organize your community. There is power in numbers. I don't care what you do, but in the spirit of all those who have struggled, fought and died, so that today we can have the power and privilege to decide for ourselves, do something.

Jennifer Wynns