Making the world a better place, one small action at a time
Kansas is voting on 2nd August 2022 and the vote includes a constitutional amendment that could remove the right to abortion in the state.
Register to vote by the deadline: next Tuesday, 12 July 2022, at the latest HERE.
On Friday, 24 June 2022, Roe v Wade was overruled. Roe v Wade is a landmark ruling by the US Supreme Court in 1973 focusing on granting privacy to discuss healthcare needs for women including abortions. This meant that women were able to have abortions. Now this abortion (privacy) law is overruled and left to states (for now).
At this point, abortion will potentially, soon to be or completely illegal in 16 states and legal for now in 35. These numbers are likely to change in the coming months – especially after the mid term elections in November. Also, given the legal quagmire, there are some institutions which will not save a woman’s life at risk from ectopic pregnancy even though they could.
We know what will come next: “Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says gay rights, contraception rulings should be reconsidered“.
Beyond that, nobody knows for sure. Looking into my hypothetical crystal ball, I would say that once contraception and gay rights are struck down, the next likely step – in my humble opinion – would be to stop women from traveling over state lines, interracial marriage and bring back segregation. Then, I guess, women and non-whites will loose their voting rights and who knows, Salem “witch” trials may be the norm again. Instead of witches, women with miscarriages will be the targets like in Texas, Mississippi (that was in 2006!), Oklahoma… and soon, near you.
This is not what we want!
This is not what I want!
Don’t despair, there are things we can do!
It does NOT have to be this way. You can and you MUST TAKE ACTION to build a better future. I am talking to everyone here irrespective of skin color: women, LGBTQ+ and MEN who care about the society they live in.
Here are my suggestions on how to safe our future:
1. Register to vote in November
2. Sign up to be a poll worker and volunteer on election days
It is important to have as many impartial poll workers as possible. The more liberal minded folks oversee the elections, the more likely that the elections will be fair. Or do you really want to leave it up to the people who overturned Roe v Wade?
3. In November, vote the GOP out!
It takes every vote and you cannot afford to stay home and leave it up to others. You must vote if you want a better future. You must vote at every level – local and federal – not only for senior politicians but also for smaller, local posts because this is where politicians often start their career. Also, local elections have a big impact on your day to day life.
4. Volunteer for human rights, women’s rights, abortion rights and similar – even one hour a month will help us all
5. Call and email your representative to tell them how they should represent you
6. Move to another state or another country if you can
7. Take care of yourself and those around you!
The situation will get better but it will take some time. In the meantime, you will need your strength to get through to the other end and see a better society.
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!
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!
Running for office is not only trendy these days, it is also important to create the world you want to live in.
Whether you want to stop mass shootings in schools or in general, enable healthcare for everyone or prevent wildfires, it pays to be in a position of power to make your mark on the world.
But why ME? Aren’t there enough people who want to run the country?
That’s a question I hear a lot and you are right. You are right. There are A LOT of people who want to impose their view of the world onto others through being in a position of power. That is the reason why it is important to fully participate yourself. Otherwise, it will be others who create their ideal world – whether you like it or not. For example, Wayne LaPierre (CEO and Executive VP of the NRA) has a clear idea of how he wants the world to look like and so does Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito who is busy overturning Roe v Wade and then banning contraception and then banning LGBTQ rights. Who knows where it will end.
That is why it is important for YOU to take action also.
I know, it may be out of your comfort zone or involve skills which you need to learn first. I hope you understand that any skills you acquire whilst preparing for or engaging in any official role will benefit you in the job market also.
If you think it is too hard or takes too much of your time though, think again. Many initial roles don’t take too much time and are a good opportunity to learn about the organization. For example, before running for your school board, you may want to start with attending school board meetings and raising issues there. Once you are familiar with the process, people and set up, you can decide to run yourself.
Just imagine, if every parent with a child in school would bring valid issues to the school board with the same determination, I’m sure they would be run differently – and possibly by different people.
The same holds true for the organizing members of Toastmasters clubs, local councils all the way to Congress. You can only influence what you are actively participating in. Voting is a great first step, but sometimes, it is not enough. Sometimes, it is important to take action yourself.
If you want to participate and think that you don’t have the money or the time to participate, think again. In 2018, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez “was outspent by a margin of 18 to 1 ($1.5 million to $83,000)” and won against a 10 term incumbent. She did this through grassroots mobilization and to this day, Ocasio-Cortez does not take donations from corporations. Yes, it can be done.
Now imagine what you could do if you put your mind to it. Imagine the world you want to live in.
What will you do? Stand by the sidelines or step up for what you believe in? Take that action and create the world you deserve!
The war in Ukraine has been going on for a full month now!
At this point, the war is still in the news as more and more war crimes happen in the region. There is still support for Ukrainians from civilians and aid agencies all over the world and I hope it will continue.
It is important that the attention remains because there are conflicts which no longer show up on our radars. Do you still remember the civil war in Syria? Did you know that over 6 million refugees fled their country? Inside Syria, another 6 million people are displaced. Yes, a total of 13 million people left their home for fear of death, injury or worse. The worst may be over by now but the war in Syria is still a crisis.
And what about Afghanistan, Lebanon or Yemen? They are still in crisis too. This is not a “what about-ism”. I’m merely trying to highlight how many war zones we currently have on this beautiful world.
According to Wikipedia, there are 57 ongoing armed conflicts at time of writing. 57! That’s too much. Looking at the Global Conflict Tracker, none of them are improving.
Are you overwhelmed yet? Do you think you are too far away to make a difference?
There is always the option to either donate to aid organizations or to volunteer for charities who champion peace and human rights such as Amnesty International.
The most important step is to take responsibility for your own actions. Yes, your actions – no matter how small – make a difference. Stopping a bully picking on a smaller child in kindergarten in a productive way will have an impact on both children. Reporting crime when you see it, is another good example – even if you think that nothing will come from it.
Taking part in protests and calling your political representative to push for change are also a great way to ensure your voice is heard. So is to run for office yourself; even if you participate on a school board, you will have a chance to make this world a better place.
It is important that you do your part.
This includes to show up at the voting booth and vote for the peaceful, democratic, inclusive party. The party that comes up with plans for the future and ideas on how to keep everyone included. Vote as if your life depended on it – because sooner or later, it will.