Call Me Switzerland

I am disgusted at the level of hate displayed on both sides of the political spectrum—the absolute disregard for human life. Hate, fear and anger have consumed us all.

In moments like these, I feel ashamed of what we’ve become: callous, heinous, and unjust. I was naïve to think we had moved past this.

We have lost our sense of humanity, revealing its ugliest aspects. What I see now are egos, not people. Voices raised not for truth, but for validation. Flags waved not for unity, but for identity.

Never realising they fight the same cause: to protect the children.

It is clear to me that people are lacking clarity, so here goes...

The killing of innocents, no matter who they are, is wrong. Supporting the existence of Palestine doesn't make you a supporter of Hamas; they are not the same thing. It also doesn't make you antisemitic, so long as you acknowledge:

The concept of Jewish sovereignty is valid, just as it is for Christian or Islamic nations.

Israel's path to sovereignty, however, has been oppressive, unjust, and immoral. There are no victors here, and everybody will lose.

This same loss of humanity is not just evident abroad, but also here at home.

I have the right to speak my mind freely, as do you. However, I learned the art of biting my tongue because I was raised on the ethos that if you haven't got anything nice to say, then don't speak at all.

We are not free from consequences.

My dad always told me that you can do anything you want in this world, but every action has a consequence, good or bad. In the realm of physics, this is Newton's Law.

People are allowed to have different opinions, so long as they don't incite harm or violence, propagate a stereotype that is damaging or construct an opinion based on assumptions or generalisations because of the lack of information or exposure.

There are no excuses for ignorance in this day and age. It is vigilance that is required in the sea of misinformation, state-sponsored trolls and AI bots.

So I will say this plainly: I do not care which land you pay your taxes to —come with respect, or don’t come at all.

I will not be made to choose a side because that is not what is needed right now. What is needed is for human beings to help each other and rise together to face this time of uncertainty, greed and deception.

While we continue to squabble over who believes what, we are so fixated on ourselves. Our communities and countries suffer because we lack the ingenuity to push past our differences to tackle the problem at hand.

I saw a clip from the Unite the Kingdom march where a police officer had knocked a protester unconscious. Chaos erupted, fists flying, pepper spray, torn uniforms, union flags, and crowds screaming ‘scum.'

Then, right in the middle…

A woman with a Union flag tied around her neck stood between the shaken officers and angry men. Faced with layers of rage, she, alone, arms raised, repeatedly shouted "Stop!"

She saw in that moment what was right and what was wrong and decided to act. That is the Britain I know. There is the humanity that we are losing.

Hate is our greatest weakness. Compassion is our strength.

But humanity demands restraint, even in anger. To celebrate death, no matter whose death it may be, is where we lose that humanity, because it means we are no better than.

I oppose all injustice, all suffering. I won’t let myself get trapped in tribal hatred. You cannot kill ideologies, for ideas are bulletproof. The answer is to imagine better ones.

Some may be upset by my words, but my goal is not to attack; it’s to plead for compassion, to remind us of what unites us as human beings.

Put down your phones and speak to your neighbours. Walk with nature, not against it. Embrace the change that we bring for all the right reasons.

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Please be safe out there and be kind!

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