Awareness

I've just read "Small Things Like These" by Claire Keegan, a really beautifully written book, which makes a very important point, in a very gentle way, about being aware & doing something about things that are wrong . It really made me think.

We are aware on so many levels. We are conscious of our surroundings & sensations. We can feel. All our senses heighten our awareness. Our conscious brain is our mechanism to think, perceive & understand. We can override our instincts, our conscience, our awareness when something isn't right. Sometimes we don't want to "put our head above the parapet". We don't want to "rock the boat" & speak out. We desire "a quiet life".

 

I really understand why that happens. Dissent can be difficult & painful. It often takes bravery.

Katharine Gunn, who worked at GCHQ, said "we don’t live in a society which is transparent, fair and just". Terry Brian disclosed what was going on at Winterbourne View. Claire Gilham, a district Judge, spoke out about hostage taking & violence. Shahmir Sanni alleged that the leave campaign broke campaign rules to win the Brexit vote. Harry Templeton challenged Robert Maxwell about his pensions fraud at the Mirror.... There are a huge number of people in the UK who would not be silenced by others, despite being threatened, excluded & losing jobs . 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/09/i-had-a-moral-duty-whistleblowers-on-why-they-spoke-up

They stood for what they believed in. They refused to stay silent about wrongding they were aware of. There is beginning to be a change in our culture now - whistleblowing, Me Too & anti bullying for example are becoming more acceptable. But it's still easy to ignore or demonise dissenters & whistleblowers.

Every single one of us needs to try to be aware & if we know that something is wrong we must have the courage to act. There is so much wrong in the world today it seems overwhelming. But each one of us is able to change the world for the better when we work together.