What’s happening in Venezuela blows me away. It’s not the violence or the students that are protesting and getting thrown in jail, or the children’s lives that are being lost over this. While all those things are absolutely awful, what keeps me up at night is their voice. The power of a united voice is un-matched. The strength, resolve, and passion that these people have is what is lacking here. The idea that when things don’t go right, they don’t lay down and leave the big issues to other people… They organize, they plan…They gather by the hundreds, by the thousands, by the hundred-thousands. There is nothing more powerful than a united people. Reform is inevitable. And the strength of this community is what we need to see more of.

I was watching a hidden camera show the other day, and the point of the show was to see how strangers would react to a couple in an argument that would escalate into a physical altercation. The thing that really pained me was the amount of people that watched this happen and kept on walking. You know the people that say, “That has nothing to do with me,”… The people that keep their heads down.. That, is what defeats us.
There were a few people that stopped and yelled “HEY, thats not right,” and that is when I saw hope. Hope in us. Well right now, the people in Venezuela are saying, “Hey, thats enough!”
And though the government has cut off all communication for Venezuelan civilians (phones, internet, etc.) they are turning to the use of social media on their phones to get their message out.

So, while we all sit back and try to address as few issues as possible today, do your part, click share, and stand up for something. Confront something. Because your voice is the most powerful thing you have.

If you still have no clue about what I’m talking about, look at these links:

Caracas Chronicles: The Game Changed

Venezuelan Student Protests 2014 – 1
Credit: Joanna Cristina Nelson and Eduardo Cartaya Yanes

Venezuelan Student Protests 2014 – 2
Credit: Joanna Cristina Nelson

Vigil for Venezuelan Students and Jailed Opposition Leader Leaopoldo Lopez
Credit: Andres Harris