AND WHY IT MATTERS
September 17, 2019
Critics of the proposed amendments to Hong Kong’s extradition bill flooded the streets in an effort to uphold their freedoms and rights.
Living in a free, first-world country enables us to enjoy a multitude of luxuries that are nothing but a fantasy to those living elsewhere. With this freedom comes the ignorance for those around us, leaving us to essentially live in a bubble where we do not truly understand, or even care, about various crises occurring in other parts of the world. A student in my philosophy class said it best, explaining that regardless of how many people tweet about an issue or follow the news covering it, no one cares unless it directly impacts us. The mere fact that I felt the need to include a section to this article discussing the background and cause of the major ongoing issues just goes to show that much of the American youth is unaware, or worse, dismisses the issue as being “just another headline.” In addition to this ignorance, we as a nation fail to recognize the true significance of such luxuries. We take for granted what others so desperately yearn for. One such example is democracy.
The American population is simply unable to understand the struggle and complexities of being free or being given a voice, because it has always seemed like a given to us. The people of Hong Kong cry out for the same democracy that we dismiss as a mere birthright. They scream and they scream, but we just don’t hear them.
Students affected with the ongoing crisis shared their views about democracy to the average American.
Khushi Kiran, an international student from Hong Kong at Penn State University claims, “I do feel like democracy is such a fundamental thing in the U.S. that it is assumed everyone has those rights. The people of Hong Kong are now fighting for it…I think it’s important for those in America to acknowledge Hong Kong…This is not the Hong Kong I know.”
North Allegheny senior Selena Brown further explains, “America definitely takes [democracy] for granted. People always complain here all the time about government being too controlling but other countries are still struggling with dictatorships and regimes.”
Time and time again, America has carelessly dismissed the affluence, prosperity, and freedom that our nation has to offer. It is time we take a moment to realize these truths — for Hong Kong’s sake.