Sandy+L's+Op-Ed+Article



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Everyone is doing it does not mean you have to do it! “So and so created a facebook account, so you should create one.” “So and so wore that shirt, so you have to buy it.” Whenever anyone tells me to do something with the reason that everyone else is doing it, I am irritated. I am ready to smash his or her brain. And of course, I cannot physically injure him or her and merely able to reply in my politest manner (especially my mom), “Thanks for your recommendation.” Then, I will walk away and quietly express my dismay toward him or her by saying to myself, “None of them realizes what condition he or she is in.” Each time when this happens, I will begin to question the logic of changing your lifestyle for the sole purpose of accommodating others.

This action fully manifests that most people’s life are dictated by others. These dictators brainwash most citizens of the U.S. to blindly follow the “trend”. Resulting in everyone understating the founding principle of U.S. - everyone is allowed to pursue the life he or she wants to live, not the life someone else modeled for him or her. Despite being brainwashed, these citizens also begin to automatically censor materials that deviate from the trend they adopted, resulting in extinctions of other styles. One method in which these citizens will eradicate other styles from their sight is mocking individuals who are following the disliked trends. This is an attack on the individual, not an attack on the appearance of that individual; thus, this individual will change to the “trendy” style merely to discontinue being mocked. Gees, this sounds familiar. Isn’t this what most of us are doing today? And this action of censoring is done without awareness from most of us.

Why?!? Why would U.S citizens sacrifice their freedom and once again fall into the trap that their founding fathers rescued them from? Wake up, U.S. citizens! Realize the trap and stop pulling others into the trap!

Realize that the trend you are following is started by someone that is human, just like you. No one will cause you physical harm if you start your own style and you SHOULD NOT cause anyone physical harm if he or she starts a new trend. Everyone has the freedom to not have a facebook account, not purchase any clothes from H&M, GAP, etc. You don’t have to torture yourself to fit in those clothes that are meant for skinny people by going on a diet. This is wrong! Regain your freedom. Why belittle yourself to accommodate others? You are valuable, despite others’ comments. You are not worthless!

If all of us are to regain our freedom, there will be no reported cases of depression. But, first we need to stop valuing materials, the force that pull us into the trap.

We don’t have to take all AP classes just to accommodate colleges! YEAH!