Because Every Word Matters
In January 2021, Australian Prime Minister announced a change to the national anthem, following growing criticism and a push for change. We, Australians, will no longer sing “For we are young and free”, indicating a young and free nation, just under 250 years old, completely ignoring the people of the First Nation, the Aboriginal people, who have lived here on this land for over 60,000 years.
Like many others, I felt like these are the most crucial US elections in many years. It was time for a change, otherwise who knows what would happen next. So here we go, as of November 7, the Hope is real and the US has decided to make a change and kick Donald Trump out of the White House. Phew, it feels like the nightmare is over, a glitch in US history, a farce which was much more dramatic than comic.
Let me tell you why Trump must lose in this election. We need new Leaders, new Role Models, new Hope for our children, a generation that have seen way too many abrupt, inconsiderate and disrespectful leaders. People who only care about themselves rather than the People they are meant to lead, who have absolutely no vision, no long term plan, no care for equality, humanity, freedom or climate action.
Let’s talk about the Power of Words and how they can influence our lives. It might be the written word, though even more significantly those that are spoken. They may come from our parents, our mentors, our leaders. They can unite us, or divide between us. Bring peace or start a war. Bring hope or send us into the darkest times. Words. That’s all it takes.
It has been quite some time since we had inspiring leaders who put the people ahead of themselves, led by example and united us all with hope and common purpose. In the midst of the worst health and financial global crisis in a century, the people of the world are looking up to their leaders for help, guidance and reassurance. Unfortunately, this is what they currently see.
I’m not a big fan, to say the least. It’s been three and a half years since he got into the White House, and I still can’t believe it actually happened. Trump is a clown, a racist, egocentric, it’s all about him and his tweets, everything else is just fake news. He clearly lives in his own world, in a different dimension, where his reality is very different to what most others see. But now, with the way he is managing the COVID19 crisis, enough is enough.
A few months ago we were all deeply involved in the Climate Change debate, especially down here in Australia where the bushfires were raging across the nation. Then, all of a sudden, came along the Coronavirus and literally stopped the world from spinning. The Climate Change debate is not on anyone’s agenda anymore.
When we grew up, back in the 80s and 90s, America was the land of dreams and endless opportunities, the place you go to make the impossible possible, a country offering its people a better life. But things have changed… So many civilian casualties in mass shooting across the states, and yet absolutely NO ACTION by the US Government to change it once and for all.
Where can you find true leadership these days around the world? Nowhere but the most remote and maybe unexpected place on the globe: New Zealand. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has proven to be the only light in a very dark world. While USA, UK, Europe, Russia and Australia are swept by nationalism and trumpism, a dividing leadership which is hardly able to articulate a single sentence without blaming, hating and promoting White Supremacy.
Language is an interesting thing, and more so are traditional phrases which are widely used in each and every culture. One of my favorite phrases is in Arabic, and it says: “Kul Kalb Biji Yomo”. So what does it mean? well, it has quite a powerful meaning.
Our biggest fear should be the “Silence of the Majority”. Most of us pretty much share the same opinions, but we’re standing on the sidelines, observing the events around us as if we are watching a movie, as if we do not participate, cannot get involved. We sit back and see what happens, hope for a happy ending, and if we don’t like what we see, we can simply switch to a different channel.
