Knowledge is Power

"Words are also actions, and actions are a kind of words." Ralph Waldo Emerson

In order to change it is crucial to hear the stories of others. On a global level, all races, religions, and cultures have been pursecuted by the powers of that era. Hearing each other's stories is the first step to acknowledging a problem and is the beginning of creating ways to change. The world is more connected now than ever before and we hear each other's stories of struggle and suffering faster than any other time in history. Knowing what is going on allows people to act, and once suffering is heard of the time for relief soon follows.

One frustration I think many of us have when we hear another's story of struggle or suffering is that relief and healing doesn't seem to happen fast enough. There are often political or legal setbacks that prevent us from providing immediate relief to suffering. Or sometimes changing someone's life takes years because it took years to get to where they are in the first place. I think as people who want to reach out and help others, we have to understand that often times helping others takes time. It is a long process that Loeb repeats in his stories over and over again.

I firmly believe that there is true power in just acknowledging another person's struggle. Injustice thrives on secrecy and ignorance. When we ignore abuse we allow it to happen more and more frequently until we accept it as normal. By listening to each other's stories we have the power to remind each other of our humanity. We get to remind each other that we all deserve to live with dignity, compassion, and equality, and when that is treatened we need to act.