“Bad things happen because good people keep quiet and turn the other way”
Some people are born in to families that have to walk miles to collect water; others simply have to turn on the tap. Some people are bullied because of their weight or gender; others choose to look the other way. Some people are persecuted because of the colour of their skin, gender, tribe or religion; others turn the other way or sometimes start a hashtag & send an emoticon their way to “show their support”. After all, they have a busy life. So what do we call such people? PRIVILEGED! WHY?
Because only privileged people sit by and wait for other people to make changes – after all, they, themselves are in no rush because they are often not directly impacted so why should they get involved they ask themselves? Only privileged people can sit by and watch others suffer and ignore their plight and screams of pain. Only privileged people can ignore the irony of calling themselves God fearing, while shutting their ears to the pain and suffering of their fellow brothers and sisters. Privileged people will say that they have problems too; when in actual fact, what they have are simply everyday challenges called Life!
The fact that you are reading this post means you can read and write, have access to the internet and are educated. Put your privilege to good use. Stop acting like a victim. Instead, volunteer, educate, teach, just stop moaning that you are helpless and cannot do anything. Stop accepting prejudice in whichever form it rears its ugly head. Now privilege doesn’t mean that you should feel guilty about your position, circumstances or wealth or success, it simply means, don’t turn the other way, when you witness injustice. To read more posts by Miriam, click HERE
Photo Credit: theplaidzebra.com
