It's not hopeless, and as long as we've got a planet to call home, there's always something we as people can do, but the first and most important step is to be aware of what's going on. It won't be easy, but things can change.

As long as we keep fighting amongst ourselves, things just aren't going to change in any significant way. This isn't to say you shouldn't disagree with people or that there aren't real issues. Rather, this is an invitation to reflect upon whether your feelings are truly your own.

Over the years, you may have heard of how Nestlé has exploited communities in Africa, and how they've left many poisoned and starved, but I can assure you, abuses like this are far more common and widespread than they appear. Often, the damage is greater and quieter.

These are powers that stretch far beyond the borders of the United States. These are people and organizations that can shape economies, media narratives, and policies in developing countries with little means to fight back.

I've witnessed a few major events recently that the news has flat out refused to cover. Things I only found out about because people were using code words to evade content moderation online. You might think you haven't been affected, but that's wrong.

They own the news, the banks, the stores, even the social media you use. They can essentially choose what you see and how you feel about it with the right push. When they pit us against each other, they get a nice cloud of smoke where they can hide their actions and intentions.

In reality, it's never really been about Black vs White, or Gay vs Straight, or even Transgender vs Gender-Typical. From the start, it's been about the working class vs those in power. It's those struggling to provide for their families vs those making a year's salary in a day.

Even if you didn't celebrate this death, if you instead used it as an excuse to throw groups you dislike under the bus and play the blame game, you're still allowing hate to win. You're allowing those in power to control how you react and how you feel. We're losing our humanity.

All that being said, his death was not the answer. Despite what you may hear, it's not wrong because he left behind a family. It's wrong because when we all collectively excuse murder, hate wins.

He was not "a man with differing opinions". He was a man with an agenda against groups of people who have no control over who they are and how they were born. He was a man who used events to spread his hate to young, impressionable minds in learning spaces.