What job would you do for free?
Bringing this world together with mutual respect and inclusion as a given, as a normal way of life, would be the greatest privilege that anyone could have.
Unfortunately those living in fear would be a problem. You may think I’m talking about people like those in Gaza waiting for the next rocket, but no. I’m talking about the people who start the wars, perpetrate violence, kill innocents.
“There are only two emotions: love and fear. All positive emotions come from love, all negative emotions from fear. From love flows happiness, contentment, peace, and joy. From fear comes anger, hate, anxiety and guilt. It’s true that there are only two primary emotions, love and fear. But it’s more accurate to say that there is only love or fear, for we cannot feel these two emotions together, at exactly the same time. They’re opposites. If we’re in fear, we are not in a place of love. When we’re in a place of love, we cannot be in a place of fear.”
Elisabeth Kubler Ros
This quotation has always rung true for me. If you have the capacity to love then killing is an anathema. Even slapping someone would fill you with guilt and horror.
Those in fear think they’re strong, but they’re doing what they’re doing because they’re not
Complex emotion
Fear seems straightforward, but it isn’t. If you have to fight because you’re a different race, colour, creed, gender, religion, it’s all based on trying to prove you or your beliefs are good enough.
It’s based on a fear that someone will try to take it away. That or you have to be the most fearsome leader or someone will come to take your place.
It obviously has different levels, and much of it is understandable. Gay and transgender people are so constantly bombarded that it’s not a wonder they feel the need to fight back. They don’t tend to violence though. For people of colour there’s also true, but sadly there is violence that helps no one, and not just from one side. There are too many white British people that fill me with horror.
On the other have, when it comes to race the English can face a lot of hate from different countries, including Ireland, Scotland and Wales, because of our wretched ancestors. All of whom forget they did their share of invading. That whilst they rightly share the UK Parliament, we’re not welcome to have a presence in theirs.
Oddly the Commonwealth has stepped away from all that, and thanks to our late Queen, her father, and now our King, everyone has a seat at the table. We work together.
I’m in awe of the Commonwealth. That’s how you make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear in spectacular style. That’s how you right a wrong. Those countries are an amazing example to the world.
Women are still held back by a misogynistic society. Where is Americas first female President? Hilary Clinton nearly did it, we thought they were at least joining the 21st Century.
Women are still weapons of war. Date rape drugs. Spiked drinks. Injected in crowds. All women of all colours. Think the girls in Afghanistan. No schooling. Think the girls placed in forced marriages. If you want to get one over on the other side, attack their women.
The courage of why
The thing with hatred is that it’s passed from generation to generation until one day someone just ask themselves why? What 1422, 1624, 1939, have to do with today? Why what’s supposed to be a religion, kills. Why anyone would kill?
Why it matters more what colour your skin is than how nice you are? Or why your gender makes any difference to anyone else? Why being English is seen as privileged by some, when we’re struggling like anything here. Or why you being not of my nationality is a thing?
I’m one of the people who asks those questions. One of the people honestly baffled by the idea that what you are makes any difference to me. Unless you’re carrying a weapon of course. That sort of thing.
I love the French, when we went to Paris the ‘unfriendly’ Parisians could not have been kinder.
A close friend is a labour voter, I’m either Conservative or LibDem. Yes we do discuss politics, we’re both interested, and we’re interested in the other’s take on it. It’s always good to have balance. That comes from:
Strength
We’re not scared we’re wrong. We’re just who we turned out to be, shaped by different lives. It’s fine. It’s fun. It heirs to stop us both from becoming intransigent and that’s important at our age.
Before any Brits start rolling their eyes, there is no way the Conservative shower are getting my vote this time. They’ve gone way too far and a party that constantly undermines their leaders is not worth a vote in the first place. I’m not talking about policies because they’d have to find a clear position first.
However, always remember that if you want a peaceful world, first you have to be confident and strong in who you are. It’s important to have standards, but they’re yours. Everyone has beliefs, and that’s okay.
However, if you find yourself not letting go in a conversation, coming back and back and back again to win your point, your toes are at the edge of the lake of fear.
If you’re courageous you don’t even need to agree to differ. You respect the difference because it doesn’t scare you to do that. Because it’s healthy for you to meet that difference and talk to it, learn from it, maybe reflect on your viewpoint.
My friend’s life has been different to mine and I learn a lot as a result. I have deeper understanding of issues facing people with disabilities than I could ever have had otherwise and that’s so important. It’s a subject I’m furious about and I know why. Because I ask.
My contribution is a different way of thinking about life, I hope it’s just as useful. It certainly excludes no living, loving being.
The unloving ones however are on my list, there are many world leaders who need to find their common humanity and the courage to connect fast. Not just the obvious ones.
Ultimately
I hate having to write like this. I’d like to be light and airy all the time. But those who care must speak up, particularly those who have no side but compassion and simple humanity.
Unlike our news that neglects to mentioned that rockets are being sent into Israel taking the lives of innocents. I defend no race, colour, creed, gender, religion, nationality or war leader. I defend ALL the innocents.
I condemn all violence, lying, cheating, stealing.
I speak for peace – and I do it for free already.
Imagine if we didn’t have to?
Deb xx
Deb Hawken - Amorah 