“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”
-Martin Niemöller

The year 1945 marked the first time outsiders to Nazi Germany set their eyes to the horrors of the Auschwitz concentration camp. The world made a promise to the Jewish people after World War II, “Never again”. I never imagined I would live long enough to see how big of a lie this was. A recent study came out that showed 23 percent of people, 18-23, believed the Holocaust was either made up or exaggerated. Today, there are talks about tearing down statues of those who do not deserve them. But almost 80 years after the Holocaust, the Jewish people have decided to leave the concentration camps up as a reminder of the worst event in human history. Recently, it has come to my attention that all of our efforts have been futile. Today, the Chinese government is currently performing a modern-day Holocaust against its Muslim citizens. While the U.S. government may have had intelligence about the humanitarian crisis happening in Nazi Germany, the evidence was never as public as what is happening now. It is disgusting how the topic has fallen on deaf ears. Rather than just being ignorant of the problem, Americans have gladly shoveled over their money to the party committing the genocide.

“Germany lost the Second World War, fascism won it”- George Carlin

Popular Brands To Not Support

Nike, the NBA, Mulan, Apple…If you find yourself enjoying any of these forms of goods and products, you are part of the problem. Yes, that is a big pill to swallow. It can be hard to think about the implications of what you are condoning when buying a phone or watching a sporting event. But we can’t simply turn a blind eye for the sake of inconvenience. Apple phones are made in China by a company called Foxconn. While there is nothing wrong with inter global economics, no workplace conditions should be so bad that a company, Foxconn, should set up nets to prevent employees from committing suicide. Many will be quick to question how we can turn away from Nike after their support for Kaepernick and Black Lives Matter. However, this justification is short-sighted because Nike shoes are also made in China in what are essentially slave laboring sweatshops. The NBA and Mulan are both guilty of supporting the suppression of Hong Kong’s democracy. The #FreeHongKong movement served as a warning to how short our attention span is when an issue is not happening in front of us. Disney’s newest adaptation of Mulan really pressed its luck when it openly thanked the government of China where the Muslim genocide is currently happening.

So What Happened To Us?

“E Pluribus Unum” means Out of many, one. Our founding fathers made this one of our nation’s mottos. The melting pot of the world does not pride itself on how different we are but how together: we are one. 80 years ago, our nation faced down the greatest evil to ever touch the earth, the Nazis. And without rest, beat down the ideology of communism with ideas such as democracy and liberty. Years later, we went on to stop whatever evil threatened us and the world, Al Qaeda and ISIS. But here we are acting with the mentality of “out of sight, out of mind.” It can be frustrating to feel that every day we must become activists for every movement that bounces across our Instagram story or Twitter timeline. But this will be the action that defines our generation. This crisis is bigger than any of us but together nothing is beyond our capabilities. Time and time again, this nation has earned its title “The greatest country in the world” by upholding the principles of good and righteousness. So what is stopping us now?