Today is my grandson’s sixth birthday. I wished him ‘Happy Birthday’ of course, but my real wish for him is that, in all his innocence, he does not grow up in a world full of Fear and Ferocity. Early this morning he already had three badges from birthday cards bearing the number six and he wanted to wear them all today. So off he went to school, with 666 emblazoned across his chest! Pretty ironic really.
He is one of my six grandchildren, and, as I feared for my own three daughters growing up, I now fear for these priceless (in my eyes) little humans.
To think that Jo Cox’s two little children woke up to the first day of their life without her is hardly bearable. Their mother to die for being an advocate for others may be noble, but it is finite. It can’t be fixed for them. What is this world coming to? Where is it heading?
The vitriol coming from all sides about the Brexit referendum is a potent mix, and the ability to put our views across the internet, perhaps, is fanning the fire in a way never experienced before. What people are allowed to say on posts or articles, or any form of communication across the web is frightening. And whilst I believe there are so many more wonderful people in the world than bad, it seems to me that the bad express their loudest and most toxic opinions, from the safety of their computer, being a step away from reality, much more than the good. This is where the real danger lies. Fanning the fire of hate. From the safety of the home. Fuelling haters and the misguided into feeling confident that this is what our ‘people’? ‘country’? want. There are those who will act on your opinion.
Whatever happens, with regard to Brexit, in my view, will not make or break Britain. In my experience, despite the worries, fears and the ferocity of the campaign, the next day will dawn, and life will go on as normal. Surely, the effect of being in or out of the EU cannot supercede what was expected of the people in Britain through the two World Wars, where economics, lives and even habits at home were on the line. They/we got through it. Did we learn the lesson that hate was the cause? I hope so. Are we acting in a better way because of this? I don’t think so.
Have you noticed that on any post….good, bad or indifferent, regardless of the subject…….. there is always someone ready to bring it down to hate? Always someone there to ridicule. Always someone ready to argue.
Should the good make more of a stand? I presume the good are less likely to voice their opinions because they think twice before they speak, right? They are less ready to be controversial, because they are caring of other feelings and emotions, right? So, it’s more likely the haters don’t even hesitate before saying what they want to say………and yes, people can argue against it, but it’s already been said, right? Do we really think people read through all the comments in order to get a balanced view? No. Those headlines in the newspaper which are manipulative and sensationalist……..do you really think everybody reads the full article only to find they retract it in the last paragraph? No.
Let’s all calm down about Brexit. The world will keep turning, the UK will not fade and die, whether we are in or out. But most of all, let’s not fan the fire of hate, fear and ferocity. Let our children grow up with hope for a wonderful life, if they are not taken out by someone who hates the look of them.
Take a look at the cards I drew for this blog – The Devil (fear, dependency, being shackled to something you are ashamed of) we can free ourselves from this but only on an individual level, it’s down to us – The Star (hope, having to keep going through the darkest of times), everything we do or say DOES have an impact, no matter how small or insignificant we think it is – Ace of Swords (a new way of thinking, possible conflict, be ready for a challenge).
We all face a challenge alright, but what do we need to do? There is only one thing we can do to defeat the evil in this world and that is to start with self. Get our heads in the right place, don’t follow the crowd. Make sure what we do is kind and thoughtful because everything we do does have an impact, and stand up to bullies, or those who are fanning the fire of fear and ferocity. If there are more wonderful people in this world than are bad, then collectively we CAN make a difference. We can make changes in this world. We can demand the truth and we can demand that there should never be corrupt and hateful people in influential positions.
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Edmund Burke
My heart and condolences go out to the families of Jo Cox, and those still reeling from the shocking terrorist attacks in France and all the other countries, to those touched by the horrors of war abroad, to those involved in the shootings in Orlando.
And am I proud of the English football fans who have created issues in France with its people already on edge and suffering enough through terrorism – of those English fans who stood around mocking little Syrian refugees by throwing coins at them and seeing them scramble for it? No I am not. Am I proud of the British Empire which went through the world subjugating other countries and the people in them? No I am not. Nor do I want to ‘get back’ to that which we ‘once were’. We need to move on. We are global, not just euro, and we are learning through interacting with each other. This is new world and a new history. I want to be proud of being able to get along with, and help others, whoever they are, or wherever they come from.
I enjoy eating curry and Italian food made by authentic chefs, in my own country and to choose whether I want to go and try Greek or Thai food. I love visiting shops that might have items I have never seen before because I live in England. I am pleased that The World has come to me because they like it here (or I hope they do) and I am happy that experts from other cultures, and backgrounds can help save lives or treat the unwell. I love that we can share expertise and learn about new ways of doing things from from our neighbours on this planet.
Britain First? Britain……… we are not that nice………… Britain Get That Right First and then we will have something to be proud of!
Patricia
Cards from The Tarot House Deck available from www.simplytarot.com
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