Lately, top news broadcasts have been teeming with stories like Ferguson, “Je suis Charlie,” and the Chapel Hill shooting. These events focus on race and religion — topics often controversial, when they really shouldn’t be. Some people believe we are far from historical religious persecution and moral obstacles during the civil rights era, however, those harsh realities are still lingering.

The truth of the matter is that some people still believe that since their ideals don’t match others, they hold the power to mock, scrutinize and attack others with those different views. It is okay to have a separate opinion. It is not okay to act on it maliciously. Anti-black, anti-homosexual, anti-Muslim sentiment may not be as overt as in the past, but it’s still present.

As a society, even as a relatively small community like our high school student body, we should eliminate any such negative attitudes. It’s a tough process but if we don’t even acknowledge this persisting problem, then we’ll be doomed to a life of ignorance, hate and unwarranted discrimination.

In the hallway and the cafeteria, I occasionally hear various racial slurs or insults from students in their conversations with others. Usually, they are spoken as jokes, greetings or are natural applications of speech. This is one sign of a growing indifference in some students regarding such words. They often know the meaning behind those words but choose to ignore them or are too comfortable with them, that they’ve lost any ethical guilt or regret when using them. This isn’t something we should condone or make a habit of, but honestly, it’s easy to let it slide.

It’s also hard to break away from a tradition of hate. Sometimes it’s a familial tradition passed down to us. This poses a dangerous threat of overall societal passiveness. We instead need to empathize and understand one another. Not attack or undermine. Those harsh, powerful words may not afflict you but they may offend others.

So, think before you speak, and another important step is to reflect. Reflect on what you were about to say or do. Reflect on the underlying meaning, your underlying opinion. If it’s in any way discriminatory or unjust, try to change. We may be young, but we know right from wrong. We just sometimes choose to ignore any such ethics to either fit in or because we’re so used to it. This is the wrong mindset to have.

Think. Reflect. Act. Reform starts from within yourself, then it’ll spread. I’ll admit, as a new generation, we have become more open to other views. Now, let’s try to continue this trend.