It’s been a tough year or two over here. Being a full time professor keeps me very busy and then a child was added to the mix. It’s always the same thing though, I get my courses set up, and think, oh yes next time it will be much easier! Next time comes around and major changes need to be made because of one thing or another. It feels like I’m reinventing the wheel with every go.
Ok, enough about my perils. I’m writing this blog to talk about the perils of the world. Personally I’ve been down lately. But, oh my word, not nearly as down as so many issues in this world. This year I’ve also made the most donations I’ve ever had. Every thing that comes across my attention, I just feel the need to do something and money is usually the quickest thing. But money is not the only way to help. Even a simple follow of a page on social media can help an organization secure funding (having a bigger audience gets orgs more money!). There’s so many issues and so many ways to help. And this is where this post lies… do flipping something.
With so many injustices in the world, there has to be at least ONE that gets you in the feels. I came up with the list below off the top of my head. Hear me out though, the reason I made the list was selfish. I am trying to dig myself out of the self pity and self reflection and remember the world is HUGE and the issues of the world are HUGE. Not to invalidate my own personal feelings but to help myself by helping others. This list was so easy to come up with because I feel the weight of them all the time. I follow several organizations and people across my social media feeds (facebook, twitter, instagram, tiktok) that highlight the injustices both local and world wide. If you broaden your scope of what you intake through media, social media, and friends/family, you will expose yourself to more perspectives. It’s a good thing. Becoming more empathetic is gold.
In this time of pandemic and the horrendous murders caught on film and shared, it seems like a reckoning for all. A time for us to take a look inside and outside to decide how our every day actions can help change this world. Why not let this be the catalyst for change. Change for all injustices. A pivot point where we don’t stand for crap anymore. A pivot point where we value success not for how much money you have or if you’re a CEO or not, but instead for what you’re doing to help others. So, what issue lights your fire? What can you do to help?
Injustices of the world with issues both local and worldwide:
In alphabetical order from my head. Comment or message/email me if I’m missing one you’d like to see added!
- Animal Rights (factory farming, wildlife slaughters (ex: Taiji dolphins), trophy hunting, inhumane pet care, etc)
- Business Corruption. Corporations need to be held to higher ethical standards. Supply chains, employees, where their money goes, etc.
- Climate Change
- Country Conflicts, ie: War (mostly over OIL!)
- Daycare quantity, quality, access, company involvement
- Education (needs a complete OVERhaul – need more teachers and doers making researched decisions)
- Equality/Equity/Injustice
- Racial
- Economic
- Gender
- LGBTQ
- Environmental health (air quality, water quality, noise pollution, light pollution, etc)
- Food Deserts
- Healthcare
- Healthy Lifestyle (nutrition, exercise, etc) (Because high numbers of overweight, obesity which leads to heart disease, etc)
- Homeless populations
- Hunger – look at how many kids are on free and reduced lunch that at school is their only meal of the day. And expand that and look at world wide hunger.
- Maternity/Paternity Leave – inadequate!!! If we want to build “community” let’s support our parents.
- Mass shootings
- Mental Health
- Nutrition
- Prison reform
- Refugees – this is STILL going on in our backyards and around the world. Look at the people of Yemen.
- Religious Freedom and Respect (this means lack of religion as well)
- Sex trafficking
- Waste Management (recycling, landfills, burning, etc).
Here we go. Let the reckoning of change and a better 2020 and beyond happen!
