Sometimes I find I stand alone in this area. When it comes to racism or any other kind of prejudice I am quick to put a stop to it. So much so that I am willing to lose friendships over it. When it comes to basic human rights- same scenario. I will shout from the mountaintops "That's wrong!" and hope that some one, some where will hear me. When it comes to basic civil liberties, I feel exactly the same. Free speech? I dare you to try to completely censor me. Freedom to acquire needed information and education? That's a definite.
But it's not always easy to get others on board with you.
I read a quote today by Leo Tolstoy, and it went something like this, "Everyone thinks of changing the World, but no one thinks of changing himself."
That's powerful stuff right there.
Do we think posting a few pictures on Facebook or Twitter is really going to cause action? Do we really believe a Letter to the Editor is making change come? Does protesting outside a government building cause our elected representatives to vote in favor of what their constituents want, versus what big business pay for?
I don't know. But I like that I have those options. In my own little way, I try to protest, educate and enlighten through social media outlets.
But in a real way, I can change how I do things, how I relate to others, how I vote on issues and how I spend my money and on what.
How do you make a difference in the world?
1 comment:
I like your Tolstoy quote. I’ve read a similar quote from a parent whose son had suffered severe brain damage that left him unable to walk or talk or feed himself. The quote was in an article the parent had written about what he had learned in the fifteen year, since the accident. “Everybody wants to save The Earth, but nobody wants to help mom do the dishes. “ He recommends sending a card, making a phone call or a visit. You don’t need to be brilliant, you just need to be there.
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