Maybe it’s time to see if we can connect the dots between the violence we’re inflicting on our children and the likelihood that those children will grow up to be violent or fall victim to violence.
It’s revealing that a person responsible for representing a community’s interests would feel comfortable excusing themselves with the fact that that community’s infrastructure is approximately as old as the nation itself.
The truth we conveniently ignore as we roll up our windows and roll down the Beetham Highway — the truth we use our addresses, degrees, job titles and, if we’re lucky, assets to hide from — is that the gap between us and the people we like to look down on is A LOT smaller than the gap between us and the people who are supposed to be serving us.
In this context, I can understand why some might decide to rebel at the level of the final bit of power they have left: personal bodily autonomy.
What I don’t understand is why ✨this✨ is the bodily autonomy hill that has been selected to die on.
What does it even mean “pro-life” in a world where so many seem comfortable with an ever-climbing death toll at the hands of a virus if it means they get to enjoy their lives as they see fit? The same people aren’t particularly bothered by extrajudicial police killings, maternal and infant mortality rates, or even making sure that children have enough to eat.
Authority does not exist in a vacuum. People vest power and authority in individuals and organisations so they can fulfil their responsibilities. We give them the authority so that they may serve in our best interests.
Whether we’re pursuing excellence in our fields or striving to keep a roof over our heads and food in our stomachs during a pandemic, we deserve REST.
When I see a billionaire spending vast amounts of money to send a penis-shaped rocket to outer space for a few minutes ✨during a pandemic✨… I have questions.