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| Three-year-old Aylan Kurdi; the latest victim of an avoidable crisis |
How many more images of dead children do people need to see, to be shocked in order to start caring about the refugee crisis? When do we say enough is enough?
Actually, if you clicked on this post you
most likely have already said enough is enough. You aren’t the problem. You do
care. You have followed the increasingly desperate, saddening and shocking
stories of these refugees or as I like to say fellow humans! But, you don’t share videos, images and news stories to preach to the choir. We need to share them to change the narrow minds of the Katie Hopkins, UKIPs, Britain Firsts, Fox News and Daily Mail commentators and followers of this world. Those whom make statements like “send them back”, “throw them back into the sea”, "greedy for the good life in europe', “i'd should use gunships to stop migrants” & "cockroach migrants".
When will they say enough is enough?
So I ask you, if you still think “Britain
is full”. What if it was you needing help? To save your life, what would you do
to survive? What lengths would you take to live another day? How would you as a
parent give your child a better chance in life?
Picture the scene
As you sit in your house, at work or
school. Your life seemingly ticking over at the pace you have grown used to. Sometimes, you have your highs and sometimes
your lows. However, your lows are never really that low and your highs are so
in abundance that you devalue them to just being normality. The normality of your child's laughter and smile greating you home after another day
9-5 day.
So, sometimes you complain about the boredom of
Mondays. You half-heartedly, celebrate the freedom that Friday brings. You
complain to yourself when the bus being late is the main cause of disdain for
your day. Sometimes, those politicians we give our sovereignty to seem to be
doing an ok job; they say they are “protecting the national interests”. Other
days, you don’t quite like what those politicians are saying; but you get back
to living your own life. Back to occasionally complaining about those minor
annoyances and undervaluing those many securities and joys. You continue on
this path until, one day all of that security is ripped away from you. There
are no more buses to take you anywhere. Those whom either loved that politician
or hated him are fighting a bloody war; with you stuck and lost in the middle.
The security you thought was a given is dramatically taken away. 
Now each day is a continual battle to
survive. What if in the mix of this survival you have the added responsibility
of trying to secure your children’s future. The sound of the gunfire is
overshadowed by their tears, screams and pleading for food, water and an escape
from the fear of death.
But, all you know is your homeland, where
your father raised you, where his father raised him. A place where you speak
the language, you know the people and most of all, a place you call home. But,
how can you stay in a home that has lingering hand of death knocking on your
door each day? How can you keep stop your child’s tears and give them a
brighter future?So, you leave. But leaving isn’t emigrating. You can’t sell your house, car or possession. Who is going to buy a house in a war zone? You scrape together what little money you have and hand it over to someone who exploits your need for freedom, safety and a brighter future. You tell your child that you are going on a new adventure to somewhere they will be safe. As you sit crammed into a make shift boat, your mind starts to weigh the risk of staying versus the uncertainty of going. Going to a land where the people accuse you of ‘looking for a free ride’. A land where people say “send them back”. Without really thinking where back is. Back is sending someone to potential death. And, If you do make it, you would have made it where others had perished. Even then you may find yourself left for dead in an overheating Van crammed with people. Can you now imagine the lengths you would go to survive and live another day?
Can you now open your heart to someone who
doesn’t look, sound or come from the same nation as you? Can you recognize them
as another human? Another human in desperate need of your concern at the very
least.
We
are all humans trying to live in peace
What is living in peace? For most of us it
is having somewhere we can call home. Having family, friends and security
around us to let us know this is where we belong. Are these not shared values. Shared values
that are universal in all societies. No one wishes for their homeland to become
a place of civil unrest, war and death.
This little boy is one of many. One of many
boys, girls, women and men around the world, whom will die trying to escape
death. There will be those who do make it. However, what life will they lead
after that? Some will scorn them for trying to simply live another day without
the cloud of war thundering over their children’s and their own heads.
Yes, it is a big world and one country can’t help everyone. However,
this isn’t an issue for one country; it is a global crisis. Each person must
look at themselves and their government and ask “What are we doing to help?”. If Britain took 25k that would only be 40 people were constituency!
As I have said previously when stating “African lives don't matter”.
I say again that only by standing together can we stop this decent into a
world, whereby Extremist attacks become more frequent, Wars become more common
place, Apathy becomes the norm and we struggle to recognize the humanity in our
brothers and sisters. I don’t want to live in a world that becomes more
marginalized and narrow-minded because we don’t speak out.
The Media
The papers exploit tragedy for profit and
readership. They help to build up the anti-migrant, refugee and the scary foreigner narrative. They don't tell you how migrants boost economies and are essential to keeping public services running. They don't tell you about how history teaches us that ignoring refugee crises only leads to far worst problems. Papers make profit from hate and fear!
Don't be fooled by temporary concern. Yet, even if they pretend to care for a while. Let us not let this story die. Let us not let these people’s lives die in vein. Let say no more; I won’t stand by and allow apathy and disrespect to be the commanding voice of my nation! I care and so should you!
Remember this, Katie Hopkins, Ukip, Britain First or any other ignorant and/or Racist group/icon is only as strong as their followers. If you can persuade someone to stop supporting them; then their power of influence will diminish!
This Little boy and the others who have and will follow him
Don't be fooled by temporary concern. Yet, even if they pretend to care for a while. Let us not let this story die. Let us not let these people’s lives die in vein. Let say no more; I won’t stand by and allow apathy and disrespect to be the commanding voice of my nation! I care and so should you!
Remember this, Katie Hopkins, Ukip, Britain First or any other ignorant and/or Racist group/icon is only as strong as their followers. If you can persuade someone to stop supporting them; then their power of influence will diminish!
This Little boy and the others who have and will follow him
For these children, I offer the poem in the video below: Kids who die by Langston Hughes.
Let this little boy be symbolic of how we will not bury our heads in
the sand and allow this crisis to be silenced.
What do you think should be done?
What would you do to survive?
Is your government doing enough?
If you found this post thought provoking, please read my other relevant posts.
Most People Won't Share this... because African Lives Don't matter!
http://antoinespeaks.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/most-people-wont-share-this-because.html
Most People Won't Share this... because African Lives Don't matter!
http://antoinespeaks.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/most-people-wont-share-this-because.html
The world is sick... and here's why
What is men were treated like women?
http://antoinespeaks.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/what-if-gender-roles-of-society-were.html
There won't be another black president and the TV shows are to blame
http://antoinespeaks.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/what-television-channels-dont-want.html
My letter to black boys and the people that raise them http://www.antoinespeaks.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/a-letter-to-black-men-and-boys-who-will.html
Antoine Allen
@AntoineSpeakson
What is men were treated like women?
http://antoinespeaks.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/what-if-gender-roles-of-society-were.html
There won't be another black president and the TV shows are to blame
http://antoinespeaks.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/what-television-channels-dont-want.html
My letter to black boys and the people that raise them http://www.antoinespeaks.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/a-letter-to-black-men-and-boys-who-will.html
Antoine Allen
@AntoineSpeakson
""The three c's of life; choice, chance and change. You have to make the choice, to take the chance, if you want anything to change" A. Allen
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