A Better Kind of Radical

When it comes to living a collective life, the fewer people who stubbornly believe they’re right the better off we will be.

Radicals are people who have attached to an idea because it makes sense to them, without ever asking others if it makes sense. Discussing, listening, asking why not, asking why it makes sense, and then forming an informed conclusion.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s the older generation who have become entrenched, dedication to one political party whether or not they make sense. Whether we obsessively support only one football team, or believe that being born where we were is special. Whether we’ve been taught that our skin colour makes us special, or embattled. There are so many things that we attach to that are destroying our ability to create a connected society.

White doesn’t mean privilege, it still means starvation and living with rats and fleas sometimes. Yes in this century. It means being abused as a child, raped by partners or husbands, drugged and date raped. It means being stabbed outside a pub because you’re white. It means working all your life then being made redundant at an age you can’t get another job. Your dreams in tatters.

It means exactly the same to people of colour, only it’s often worse because of the radical believers.

It means not being safe on your streets in exactly the same way as people of colour feel. It means being abused for being white on your own streets, which is equally as bad as being told you don’t belong here. We do. We all do.

Why do we even have to think these things? Why do we have to believe these things. And the belief lies on both sides of the divide, different beliefs, same damage, no connection. Yet in truth many people in this country integrate quite happily, make friends, care about each other.

You only have to see how relatively few are on the streets protesting
to know that statement is true.

Millions are not there because we don’t support it. We don’t go as they’d probably try to start a fight, which would only make things worse.

For us to be a free and safe society for all, we need people with the courage to be different, the intention to learn, the willingness to discuss, and the decency to work together for a better future.

There has never been a time where radical kindness has been more needed, the courage to stand up and say no to what’s happening. It can only work if we speak as one, walk together, refuse to listen to disgusting prejudiced talk, say no to rude and harmful behaviour. We all have to band together and remind them how many more of us there are.

No matter who you are, what colour you are, what gender you are, whether you were born here or elsewhere, let’s step outside the noise and become a voice so powerful that everyone will have to listen. Let’s show the violent few what overwhelming numbers of inclusive and respectful people they’re up against. We all have a duty to save our society and preserve our inclusive way of life, together we can silence these people, but only if we say no openly.

We have social media, they’re using it for disinformation and to destabilise, let’s use it to stand together, and try to stabilise our society, so that everyone can walk, talk, work and worship in peace, and the children are safe.

Of all things that it is our most important responsibility of all –
to keep the children, all children, safe.

Will you help? Let’s break the pattern and become entrenched in the idea of kindness towards and respect for all, for all people, for all life, for the planet. That’s the kind of radical I can admire.

Deb xx