200 people “died” in Parks Library.

200 students of all different races and backgrounds lay on the floor of Parks Library for four-and-a-half minutes to “die” for Michael Brown. Brown, though unarmed, charged at police officer Darren Wilson and was shot four times. It took Brown four-and-a-half minutes to die.

Racism is still an apparent problem in the United States. As a nation, we have put an end to slavery and Martin Luther King Jr. marched for civil rights, and yet some still treat people from different races with disrespect.

This issue is more than just white people attacking black people. People of all colors should treat all other people with respect. I am an average-looking white woman and my best friend growing up was African-American. Our friendship was more than skin deep, and I would consider her my sister and would never disrespect her.

Then there is the other side, the people who believe that people of different color are different from them. This is the kind of attitude that needs to be put to an end. Skin is just a color. Just as we all have different colored hair on our head, some of us have differently colored skin, but that doesn’t make anyone different from someone else. What makes us different is what is on the inside.

What makes us different are our thoughts, our expressions, our love, our hate and our feelings. What we look like on the outside is just a shell and has no affect on our personalities and who we really are.

The protest that was held in Parks Library to support Mike Brown and his family wasn’t just an act against Wilson, it was more than a protest against police violence. It was an act against racism. It is a fantastic thing when students from all different races and backgrounds are able to get together and stand up, or in this case lie down, for what they believe in.

There will be talk from some students tomorrow who think that the protest was ridiculous and a distraction, but there will also be students who agree with the movement and have strong feelings about the Brown case. We are lucky enough to live in a country where the First Amendment allows us to participate in these protests without getting in trouble with law enforcement. When students feel strongly enough about an issue to organize a peaceful protest such as the one on Dec. 10, it is wonderful that we are allowed to.

The protests should not end here. We have a responsibility to continue the battle against racism, which was started so many years ago. It is important that we never lose sight of the fact that no matter the color of a person’s skin, we are, in fact, all people. The shooting of Michael Brown is saddening, but violent protest is not the answer. Cases of African-Americans attacking white people in the riots in Ferguson are just as wrong as the shooting itself.

If we want to see a change, we must do so peacefully. We will only truly be a united nation when we as a nation, all have race equality.

The day that we no longer have to talk about racism in the United States of America will be a beautiful day, but until that day comes, we must continue to peacefully “fight” our way to a stronger and more united country.