Webmaster Maya Shrivastav’s ‘This I Believe’ graphic is shown above. Shrivastav has been outspoken on societal issues from a young age and believes it is very important to speak out. “When I marched with a crowd, all working together to bring about change, I don’t know if I realized the impact it’d have on me later on. Today, I know that there are issues deeply rooted within the laws of the United States and the systems that govern the people of this country, and I have strong opinions on how to fix them.” Graphic by Anna Shaikun
Webmaster Maya Shrivastav discusses her longtime belief that it’s important to have a voice to influence societal change.
Hi, I’m Maya Shrivastav, a sophomore and the Webmaster for the ODYSSEY Media Group at Clarke Central High School. This is “This I Believe.” These are essays that discuss the origin, importance, and rationale behind people’s personal belief systems. Students will share their personal essays discussing how these beliefs affect their everyday lives, times they may have been challenged, and how they may impact the lives of those around them. This is “This I Believe.”
In January 2017, I attended the Women’s March in Washington, D.C., protesting against the misogyny observed within the Trump administration. One year later, my mother and I returned to D.C. for a second protest: the March for Our Lives, this time rallying for increased gun control restrictions. I was only in elementary school, but even then I knew that something was wrong, and those wrongs needed to be addressed and fixed.
When I marched with a crowd, all working together to bring about change, I don’t know if I realized the impact it’d have on me later on. Today, I know that there are issues deeply rooted within the laws of the United States and the systems that govern the people of this country, and I have strong opinions on how to fix them.
One thing I’ve learned, though, is that sometimes it’s hard to find a place to express those opinions. It is often difficult to have discussions with anyone whose thoughts differ from my own. I can occasionally have good conversations with friends, but even then, the opinions I hear echo the ones I’m stating. Not only that, but the debates over the issues I have always been passionate about have been interwoven with fiery political arguments.
Even if I can find topics to debate about, people simply don’t want to talk. I understand that today’s polarized political climate can make people feel uncomfortable discussing the things they feel strongly about, but I know that things aren’t going to change unless we talk about them. Change always requires a catalyst, and I want to allow my words to be the catalyst for the changes we require in society.
It’s what inspires my writing. Even through fiction, I weave in commentary that explains how we can fix what’s wrong, and the consequences of letting those wrongs lay unsolved. I believe that silence isn’t golden because silence means letting my voice be unheard by the community and letting what I know is wrong remain that way. I see issues in the world that need fixing, and I will not be silent when my voice could help fix them.
But sometimes, speaking your opinion can bring consequences for you as well. Free speech is a right promised to everybody in the United States, and yet, at times, it feels like people want some ideas and opinions to be silenced while others are heard loud and clear. In a world where some voices are represented and some simply are oppressed despite the rights detailed in the First Amendment, I fear that having an opinion on controversial topics and expressing that opinion can lead to anything from burning bridges in relationships to real violence. Violent crimes against people with differing identities, thoughts or opinions, such as the 2022 Club Q mass shooting in Colorado, are growing more prevalent, and this pattern of intolerance towards diverse thoughts is frightening.
We will always have opinions, but we have to stand up and fight for them or nothing’s going to change. The protests and the marches are the catalysts that will help to fix societal injustices.
When I stood in solidarity with so many people at the Women’s March and the March for our Lives, we were the catalysts for change. We will be remembered for that. Our actions at those two events will be remembered because we were all passionate enough to contribute to the efforts to fix issues we have.
I might just be a single high school student with some strong opinions, but I can speak. I can stand up for what I believe in when things are wrong. I can write and let my words have an influence. And I can be one part of a greater whole, all fighting for a single cause. Having a voice means having power to bring about change, and I will never let anyone or anything take that power away.
