You can make a difference.
Sunday, January 22, 2017I wanted to write a quick post about how I feel with what's going on at the moment but was actually a bit worried about doing it which is ridiculous. Yesterday it was the women's March #womensmarch. I'll be honest, didn't really know what women were marching about so I decided to read up on people's reasons and experiences. It turns out, as far as I can see, that there is no one specific reason that unites everyone. The march is ostensibly to protest Donald Trumps first day as President, however from what I've read it goes way beyond this one guy and his controversial opinions.
I'm not going to voice my opinions on Trump here. Or Theresa May or anyone in government. Suffice to say that for a while now I've genuinely been worried for the world. The hate, the racism, the way the media portray certain events or people. That hate crime is growing, witnessing hate first hand on the streets, seeing people suffering. The lack of coverage of terrorist acts that don't effect us directly in the western world so is ignored, the way food banks are being used more than ever, the way disabled citizens are being treated. It frightens me.
Yesterday's marches were made by ordinary people. I was wrong in what I said before, one cause does unite them all and that's wanting to make their voices heard in a bid for equality. Sometimes I walk down the street, or see things on tv or social media and it's the thing that scares me most; people have stopped caring. Believing they should follow the 'can't beat them join them' school of thought. No longer being generous to their fellow humans or standing up for what's right.
The photos from various people at the marches in London made me feel hopeful that maybe we do still care about each other. Taking individuals out of the equation, we as a people as a race need to stand up for each other, for those who can't speak for themselves or for those that need a bigger force behind them. If something isn't right we need to make a stand, how else will anything ever improve.
I've heard a lot of people saying 'what's the point? What has it achieved?'. Maybe not much to look at. However, it united like minded people, all over the world, in huge numbers, men and women. That's a big message. It wasn't only women's rights that were being argued for, it was equality of gender, race and ability. They may not have toppled governments or changed laws. But they stood up, together. That's immense power.
Would you rather look back at this time or any situation you felt strongly about and say, 'well I let it go because what could I do?' Or that you stood up, however small you are and made a stand? Tried to change something.
What I'm trying to say, however clumsily, is that we should all stand up for what we believe is right. Wheth that is in a personal situation or on a wider scale. Never think that you can't make a difference.
Before I had my transplant I did a lot of publicity for organ donation. I never knew if that was going to help me. But if it stopped one more person dying from a lack of donors it was worth it. If one more persons wishes were recognised, it was worth it.
The smallest act of kindness can have a profound impact. Keep being kind, and speaking out. Xxxx
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