Stop the violence…Increase the peace!

Yesterday, I picked up the Advocate and was astonished when I saw the article entitled, “SU students rally against violence,” by Advocate staff writer Kimberly Vetter on the front page. I was shocked because this was the first time that I had seen Southern on the front page of the Advocate without being displayed in a negative light.
As I read the article, which described the march against violence event that happened on Wednesday. I remembered how that day, I had originally come to the march to take pictures for my photojournalism class.
However, when I saw the masses of people, so eager and ready to march, with signs that promoted the end of violence in their hands, I was anxious to join in. I questioned what justice would it do “the cause”, if I just stood there and took pictures. So just before the march began, I took a few quick pictures, and joined the march against violence.
We marched nearly 2-miles and shouted in unison, “Stop the violence, increase the peace! Stop the violence, increase the peace! Stop the violence, increase the peace!” While the melodic sounds of the band loudly blared behind our vocals.
As I marched, I numerously switched my fingers on my right hand on and off from peace and black power signs, and was overwhelmed with joy. I was so excited because I was amongst nearly 1,000 people having fun, and we weren’t tailgating or dancing at the club, we were doing something positive, we were marching against violence.
Though my heart was overwhelmed with joy, it also disheartened me to know that lives were lost based on violence within the community for us to even consider having a march. Furtively, I wished that an event like this could have happened way before violence had ever occurred. However, I am thankful to Chancellor Edward Jackson for allowing Southern to host this historic event.
Our Student Government President Niiobli Armah said, “If we don’t reach out and make change happen, who is going to do it? Don’t wait for the baton to be passed to you, reach up and grab it.”
His statement is true, because we cannot wait for change to happen, we have to make something happen for things to change.
Each and every one of us has something to contribute to Southern, its surrounding community, the city of Baton Rouge and the whole world. We all have unique talents and capabilities, because God has embedded them within us. We all have the ability to change our environment for the better.
Don’t think just because a march happened that change is going to come instantaneously because it will not. We must continue to march and fight everyday until change occurs. And when it does, we must never stop marching.
Remember, it is up to us as individuals to choose whether to sit back and watch violence take its hold, or stop the violence and increase the peace! -Love Each Day-