99, 100, 101, 102… how many more days of war?

It’s been more than a 100 days of war in Ukraine since the strike on 23 February 2022 turned the ongoing occupation into an active war again.

More than 100 days!

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I can’t even go without chocolates or without a glass of wine for 100 days without patting myself on the back afterwards!

When was the last time you did something unusual and out of the ordinary for 100 days? How did that go?

As for Ukraine, they need all the help they can get – and then some. Russian troops are still attacking, missiles are still hitting and people are still getting killed. Too many are being killed and that includes innocent people and children also. Too many are being replaced and have to flee the cities and villages they have lived in. Too many have seen or experienced horrors they will never forget.

So what can we do?

From a distance, it’s easy to think that one can’t do much. I disagree. I think there are a lot of things that can be done.

First and foremost, stay healthy yourself. You can only help others if you are alive and able to help. That’s why it is important that you look after yourself physically and mentally so that you can step up when needed.

Second, you have to keep your country “healthy”, stable and well functioning. You do this by voting for a government which serves you and your country in the best possible way. Always choose the party which acts on your interests. Look at their actions and judge them on it. Yes, judge them on their actions and then vote accordingly!

Their words barely matter. Their words don’t matter because they are cheap and easy. If you must listen to their words, then always compare them to the actions as well.

Actions on the other hand take time, consideration and effort. Without putting energy, time and often money into actions, they will not happen. So go and vote for the party that DOES things for you and also for the wider community.

Because if your own country is struggling, you won’t be able to stand up to oppressors. At this point, the oppressor may be external to the country or the oppressor may be internal in the form of domestic terrorism. So, go and vote for the party that makes your country strong for now and into the future.

If you are fortunate enough to have spare bedrooms, you can volunteer to host refugees from Ukraine. More than 6 million refugees have fled and need safe places to stay. That is more than the whole population of Norway or Singapore!

Last but not least, please continue to give – if you can – to support Ukraine in it’s fight for self-determination. Because if Ukraine falls, who knows who will be next… and when we will be next.

Look after yourself and vote!

We must do better!

Those are the words of Matthew McConaughey, a Uvalde native, after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary school in Ulvade, Texas.

He is right. We must do better!

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All of us have 24 hours a day which present themselves with plenty of opportunities to choose how to respond and how to act. This includes the smallest of actions like stopping to pet the dog who comes up to you in the morning which has shown health benefits or simply to walk past. It includes more impactful decisions like walking away from a toxic job or sticking with it. It includes the decision to call your representative to come up with better gun laws. You can find your representative and if you need a little help, here is a “How to Call” page to set you up for success.

After all, there are laws and checks and licenses for driving a car even in Texas, so why not for guns?

The reason there are little to no gun laws is because politicians have no incentive to change the current laws. Yes, there is an attempt by the Democratic party to raise the age limit for purchasing semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21. This is a good first step and it is backed up by a Washington Post investigation into school shootings suggesting that the “median age of school shooters is 16”.

Will it work though? Will Republicans agree and pass the law? OR will the GOP block gun laws?

That depends on you and the choices you make and the actions you take. If you call your representative to urge them to implement gun laws, then they will be compelled to take action. This is how democracy works. The people decide what they want and the representative take action upon the people’s wishes. That is why “we the people” need to do our part and make our voices heard – every single day.

We must do better!

We must demand better!

We must demand better gun laws!