An Urgent Call to Action: Breaking the Chains of a Violent System

By Justyne Greenlaw, Rana Wiar, Rebeca Castillo / Fall 2024

We stand at a pivotal juncture in human history, where the fabric of our society is woven with glaring disparities and systemic injustices that touch every corner of our lives. Our experiences, though diverse and scattered across different worlds, are bound by common threads of oppression that reveal a harrowing portrait of existence under the yoke of systemic violence. This manifesto is a call to action, a rallying cry to dismantle these chains, and a declaration that we must forge a new path forward. We stand at a defining crossroads in human history, where every facet of our world has been sculpted by inequality, sewn together with the threads of a society built on the backs of the marginalized and oppressed. The disparities we face are not mere byproducts of an imperfect system; they are its foundation, deeply embedded and reinforced across generations. We live in a world where the weight of systemic injustice doesn’t just linger in the shadows; it is woven into the very air we breathe, etched into the landscapes of our cities, written into the laws that govern us, and whispered in the way we’re taught to see ourselves and others.

We begin at the crumbling foundation of our economy, the minimum wage, an emblem of exploitation that leaves millions in the suffocating clutch of poverty. Despite the echoing calls for living wages, the corridors of power reverberate with the hollow promises of change. How can one live, let alone dream, when the fruits of their labor barely cover the basic necessities of survival? The minimum wage isn’t just a failing system; it’s a quiet violence. It’s the accumulation of daily indignities, the relentless erosion of self-worth, the message that, no matter how hard you work, it will never be enough. And in the silence that follows each hollow promise of reform, there’s a gnawing despair that only deepens, rooting itself in the lives of those who have been made invisible, those who work tirelessly, sometimes holding down two or three jobs, yet still can’t meet their basic needs. The truth is, it’s not just an economic issue. It’s personal, it’s intimate, it’s the way a person looks at their children knowing that they can’t afford to give them the life they deserve, or the way they look at themselves in the mirror, wrestling with the shame of falling short in a system rigged against them.

Our judicial system, vaunted as a pillar of fairness, is but a skewed scale tipped against those it vows to protect. The law, which should be blind, seems all too keen to see color, status, and wealth. It is a system that incarcerates some while absolving others, a clear message that justice is not blind but biased. The law is said to be blind, yet it wears a mask that sees all too clearly. It sees color with disturbing clarity, perceives status with eager precision, and recognizes wealth with alarming responsiveness. It is quick to condemn those who lack privilege, yet remarkably forgiving to those who hold it. For some, a courtroom is a place of redemption, a chance to walk free, but for others, it’s a conveyor belt to punishment, where verdicts are foregone conclusions and sentences are prewritten.

Technological advancements have redefined the boundaries of our capabilities, creating a new era of connectivity and innovation. This progress has surpassed even our wildest expectations, achieving what was once thought impossible. More than just innovation, it's a work of art, meticulously crafted to seek solutions and simplify everyday life. Yet, this progress casts a long shadow, deepening the chasm between the haves and the have-nots. As we stride into the future, we must question who benefits from these advancements and who is left behind in the digital divide. This is not just a matter of gadgets and connectivity; it is a question of power, of opportunity, of who holds a stake in the future and who is condemned to watch from the sidelines. For some, technology offers limitless possibilities; for others, it is a fortress with walls too high to scale, where knowledge and access become gatekeepers of a future that slips further out of reach with each passing innovation. If we are to continue forward, we must ask ourselves: who is allowed to dream in this new world, and who is denied even the tools to try? We cannot ignore the harsh truth that technology, which was meant to bridge gaps, is instead deepening the cold chasm of inequality.This inequality becomes another barrier to fight against, to hurdle over, to add stress to our already burdened society. At this rate, we should be afraid not only of whose hands have the privilege to use it but also of how technology will overtake our lives. Once a tool to empower students, technology is now a prerequisite for participation, slowly rendering us obsolete and displacing us from the very jobs we need to survive. Yet, this disruption is celebrated by those who prioritize profit over people, those blinded by the allure of benefit, power, and control. As this continues, how will we preserve the value of human skills, creativity, and connection? We seem to be actively displacing these very qualities with a tool we have created, a tool that now appears to be a growing monster.

Climate change remains the specter haunting our times, an existential threat magnified by the inertia of those in power. As our planet warms, seas rise, and species perish, the call to action becomes more urgent. We face a stark choice: change our ways or witness the unraveling of the delicate tapestry of life. As temperatures climb and seas swallow shores, we are forced to confront the fragility of life, the terrifying reality that the balance we once took for granted is now teetering. The delicate tapestry of ecosystems, which took millions of years to form, unravels in mere decades, each thread representing species lost, forests felled, and waters poisoned. With every degree the planet warms, with every inch the seas rise, we inch closer to a world stripped of its beauty, its diversity, its life-sustaining balance, a dark oily barren shadow of what once was.

Today's political climate, fresh off the heels of electoral battles, promises much yet delivers little. Politicians drape themselves in the rhetoric of reform, yet their actions often feed into the machinery of wealth disparity. The gulf between the ultra-wealthy and the rest grows wider, leaving dreams of affordable housing and economic mobility as mere mirages on a distant horizon. We are told to work harder, to be patient, to wait for change that is always just around the corner, yet somehow never within reach. And with each passing election, the disenfranchised grow more disillusioned, more painfully aware that the system they hoped would lift them up instead weighs them down, trapping them in a cycle of poverty and frustration. Political rhetoric may offer a momentary balm, but it cannot fill empty cupboards, cannot cover soaring rents, cannot buy back the hours lost to endless work that still fails to make ends meet.Should this continued manipulation of hope still surprise us? We exist in a state of perpetual hope, one that is abused by our own kind. They sell us stories to keep us from rebelling, to keep us quiet and on the sidelines, complying with their needs. This is a technique overly used to keep us suppressed. They promote this individualistic, selfish mindset, seeking only to fit the fittest in society, and this just perpetuates a constant feeling of betrayal and backstabbing.

Society is quick to label the youth as lazy and disengaged, yet it is this very generation that bears witness to the brunt of inherited crises, economic, environmental, and political. With little time for what truly constitutes freedom, the young are ensnared in a relentless cycle of productivity that leaves little room for civic engagement or personal growth. The reality is that this generation is trapped in a ceaseless cycle of productivity, a grind that demands their hours, their focus, their energy, while robbing them of the very things that make life meaningful: time to explore, to engage, to learn, to dream. For many, survival itself has become an act of endurance, leaving little space for civic involvement, for developing a sense of self, for any semblance of genuine freedom. They are expected to solve the problems handed down to them, all while running a race with no finish line, a race where each stride forward is met with new obstacles, soaring costs of living, unstable jobs, a planet on the brink of destruction.

In the wealthiest corners of the world, healthcare remains a privilege, not a right. The lack of healthcare support has unveiled a stark reality: access to health is access to power. And many are left powerless, their lives and livelihoods ravaged by an indifferent system. Behind every statistic, every faceless number, are real lives fractured by an indifferent system: parents rationing medication, children denied basic care, elders suffering in silence. And for each person forced to forgo treatment, for each family left to choose between food and medicine, the message becomes painfully clear: health is not a right but a privilege, a luxury that the system has deemed too costly to share universally. To deny healthcare is to deny humanity itself. It is a decision to leave people in pain, to let disease go untreated, to say that some lives matter more than others based on wealth alone. This disparity is not just a health crisis; it is a moral crisis, a stark revelation of the world we have created, a world where profit trumps compassion, where the most vulnerable are left to fend for themselves in a landscape of abundance.

A system that remains the same is a system that will not work. A system that praises seniority will continue to fail. Time is knowledge; its power should be only a resource used to learn from, not the reason to define the capacity to withstand a system that works for the past but rather one that will satisfy the now, the future.This issue will persist in the workplace, where hierarchy takes precedence, laying the power in the hands of those with more time in the field, rather than firmly basing it on talent and skill. Over time, we tend to lose grasp. In this case, it could be the needs of the environment, defaulting to reusing the same ideas rather than changing them and taking for granted the knowledge of new people, overlooking those who could offer different perspectives and insights. This applies even to our academic environment, which has quite significant influence and control over important academic processes, including processes such as where school funding will go, what curriculum will be taught, and hand-picking the people to deliver such ideas and topics to students. Being a senior member even takes a role in politics, having a say in crucial topics like global health or taking a closer look at the role of social justice and economic reform.In our society, seniority is not a factor that benefits us; rather, it adds to an already long list of reasons why we are where we are. Instead of addressing the issue, it magnifies and pronounces it, reinforcing inequity and perpetuating imbalance. What this society needs is to look deeply and value everyone. Experience should not be a dictator of who is worth the position. Both experienced and inexperienced are valuable because they are fed from different ends of the spectrum.

Imposing generational values is a constant fight, but one worth fighting for a better future. Every generation faces this struggle, needing to push against society’s norms to avoid being crushed by them. If we settle for the current social order, we abandon the hope of creating a world that truly aligns with our values. Our society values competition and consumerism, but we yearn for something more.We demand a reform, one that prioritizes what truly matters—inclusivity, sustainability, and equity for all. These shouldn't be mere aspirations, but realities we actively build. We envision a world where diversity is embraced, where society functions as a healthy community that values and respects everyone, despite our differences.We challenge the system to create a level playing field for all, where even Mother Nature is cherished and protected. This is the reality we've been striving towards for generations—a better world, one painted in the colors of the values we so much treasure as generation.

This manifesto is not merely a reflection but a call to arms. To dismantle the oppressive systems, we must unite in solidarity, recognizing that our liberation is bound together. We must advocate for policies that ensure living wages, a fair and equitable judicial system, and the democratization of technology. We must demand action on climate change, champion affordable housing, and redefine what it means to be productive. Above all, we must secure healthcare for all, recognizing it as the fundamental right that it is. Our fight is multifaceted, but it begins with the pursuit of policies that acknowledge every person’s right to a life of dignity. We must demand living wages that reflect the true cost of survival, wages that lift people from poverty and empower them to thrive. This is not just about economics; it is about respect, about acknowledging the intrinsic worth of every worker, every family, every human being. And we cannot stop at wages. We must push for a judicial system that does not discriminate based on race or status, a system that sees justice as a right for all, not a privilege for the few. We must strip away the biases that permeate our courts, ensuring that every person is granted equal protection and fairness under the law. This manifesto is our commitment, to each other and to the world we are building. It is a promise that we will not rest until justice is woven into every system, until every voice is heard, and until every life is honored with the dignity it deserves. This is our call to rise, to resist, to rebuild a world where compassion, equity, and solidarity are more than words, they are the foundation of a future worth fighting for.

Together, we can redefine the contours of freedom and justice. We can build a world where the economy, technology, and politics serve not just the few, but every one of us. Imagine an economy that values people over profits, where every job affords a life of dignity and no one has to choose between survival and self-respect. Picture a world where technology is accessible to all, where digital access is not a privilege but a right, bridging divides and empowering every voice to be heard. Envision politics as a genuine arena for all voices, where representatives serve not the interests of a powerful few but the needs of every community, every family, every individual. The urgency of this moment cannot be overstated. We stand at a crossroads in history where inaction means allowing oppression to persist, where silence endorses the continued exploitation of both people and the planet. This is our chance to disrupt cycles of inequality, to forge systems that prioritize humanity, to build a future where justice is more than an ideal, it is an undeniable reality for all. The time for change is now. So let’s lead by example and write a new chapter in history—one defined not by bloodshed, but by the unwavering power of our collective voice.Will you join us and make use of the very power that lays in your hands?

Will you rise to this call, not just through your words but in action? The path forward demands our courage, our commitment, and our collective resilience. It requires that we look beyond comfort zones and familiar routines to engage in the meaningful work of transformation. Together, we have the opportunity to leave behind a legacy, to be remembered as the generation that faced the impossible and made it possible. Imagine the future generations who will look back at this moment, at each choice we make, and see it as the defining moment that shaped their reality. They will see that we refused to sit idle, that we took it upon ourselves to protect the dignity and rights of every human being. They will live in a world we dared to reimagine a world where inequality is not tolerated, where compassion is a standard, and where freedom and opportunity extend to every individual.Every act, every voice, every effort matters in this movement. Perhaps you will lead change in your community, inspiring others to take a stand. Or maybe you will advocate for causes within your field, using your skills to create solutions that benefit the many, not just the few. Wherever you choose to begin, know that no action is too small when it comes from a place of purpose and commitment to a greater good.This journey is not easy, nor is it guaranteed. But change has never come from those who feared the challenge; it has always been born from those who embraced it. So let us not be defined by our doubts but by our shared belief in what’s possible. Together, we can create a world where justice, fairness, and hope are not just ideals but lived realities.Will you answer the call, and join us in building a future that we can all be proud of?