I cried when I saw the image of Abdullah Kurdi, holding the body of his 3-year-old drowned son Alan, just before he was buried in a public funeral in Kobani.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/drowned-syrian-boys-mother-buried-in-kobani-1.3215349
It's an image that I won't forget. His is just one of hundreds of thousands of stories that highlight how our world deals with humans in an unkind and unfair way. I'm not an expert in politics, economics, religion, or law - but I can say that we all live on this earth and I'm pretty sure that we could share it more equitably. The thing about this story that made me cry the most - was the fact that Abdullah and his deceased family were flown to a city near Turkey's border with Syria and the enscorted to Kobani by police. Why did I cry? I couldn't help but think about how much that must have cost, and how many children like Alan could have been fed, clothed, housed, or relocated to safety for the price of this expensive trip?
Don't misunderstand me, my heart goes out to these people. To lose your entire family in a desperate attempt to have not only a better life, but a safer life that might be free from terror and oppression. I think that I can see the rationale behind it; living in a privildeged place, I can't fully comprehend just what that must be like. I know some people scoff at this and point to this father for his "stupid" actions. Well maybe they did make a foolish choice, I don't know, but I do know I'm not in a situation where I'm forced to entertain anything dangerous just to find some security.
I think as Canadians, we really do need to think about who we are on this planet and what our values are. Wouldn't you be willing to accept a slightly lower standard of living if it meant that families like this could get here safely in a timely fashion and become part of our community? I would. Maybe this question is not fair, I do know that there are those in our community who don't enjoy a good standard of living, but in truth, perhaps that's because those of us who do need to think and choose differently. I for one am looking at the political parties vying for the next leadership with an eye toward social justice and community-minded thinking. Just writing this makes me feel angry toward the conservatives in Alberta. The money they wasted, the favortism toward oil... I'd like to see a kinder world, and live in a community that shares resources, rather than put up fences and keep people out, or stand on the shoulders of others to get ahead. Why else would Canadians want to slow down refugees?
Maybe I am naive, but that's just how I feel. Sometimes it's better to look at what really matters - people. I don't want to see any more conservative governments squashing human interests in the interests of money, I'm really tired of this. I hope all Canadians work together to elect someone who is forward thinking, community minded and wants everyone to enjoy a better standard of living; not just the rich.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/drowned-syrian-boys-mother-buried-in-kobani-1.3215349
It's an image that I won't forget. His is just one of hundreds of thousands of stories that highlight how our world deals with humans in an unkind and unfair way. I'm not an expert in politics, economics, religion, or law - but I can say that we all live on this earth and I'm pretty sure that we could share it more equitably. The thing about this story that made me cry the most - was the fact that Abdullah and his deceased family were flown to a city near Turkey's border with Syria and the enscorted to Kobani by police. Why did I cry? I couldn't help but think about how much that must have cost, and how many children like Alan could have been fed, clothed, housed, or relocated to safety for the price of this expensive trip?
Don't misunderstand me, my heart goes out to these people. To lose your entire family in a desperate attempt to have not only a better life, but a safer life that might be free from terror and oppression. I think that I can see the rationale behind it; living in a privildeged place, I can't fully comprehend just what that must be like. I know some people scoff at this and point to this father for his "stupid" actions. Well maybe they did make a foolish choice, I don't know, but I do know I'm not in a situation where I'm forced to entertain anything dangerous just to find some security.
I think as Canadians, we really do need to think about who we are on this planet and what our values are. Wouldn't you be willing to accept a slightly lower standard of living if it meant that families like this could get here safely in a timely fashion and become part of our community? I would. Maybe this question is not fair, I do know that there are those in our community who don't enjoy a good standard of living, but in truth, perhaps that's because those of us who do need to think and choose differently. I for one am looking at the political parties vying for the next leadership with an eye toward social justice and community-minded thinking. Just writing this makes me feel angry toward the conservatives in Alberta. The money they wasted, the favortism toward oil... I'd like to see a kinder world, and live in a community that shares resources, rather than put up fences and keep people out, or stand on the shoulders of others to get ahead. Why else would Canadians want to slow down refugees?
Maybe I am naive, but that's just how I feel. Sometimes it's better to look at what really matters - people. I don't want to see any more conservative governments squashing human interests in the interests of money, I'm really tired of this. I hope all Canadians work together to elect someone who is forward thinking, community minded and wants everyone to enjoy a better standard of living; not just the rich.
Comments
Post a Comment