We must learn to be our own activists and advocates

Miguel Bibanco, a writer with The Know, thinks the London riots signify the deterioration of true activism and community involvement. "Another cause of apathy may be that we simply are not aware of what is going on around us. We don’t take the time to research the things that are affecting us and our community. We absorb the information we receive from the media at face value without critical questioning. When we do realize the need for change, we are often slow to act because we believe that type of work is for someone else. We don’t realize the important role that an ordinary person can play or how crucial it is to have those who are directly affected by their environment to speak out against injustice. We can no longer delegate action to non-existent heroes. We must learn to be our own activists and advocates."Read more.Bibanco's op-ed also includes an audio interview with one of his high school teachers about this phenomenon.