2017

Well, here we are: 2017. We made it through the hellhole that was 2016, now what? How are we going to make 2017 any better than 2016? We can’t just sit around and do the same stuff, obviously that doesn’t work! We need to change and adapt. We live in tumultuous times; we have a democratically elected man who studied and idolized Hitler, and is best friends with a modern dictator, coming to power. That would be terrifying in any circumstance, but it is especially apocalyptic when you remember that he will have control of the largest nuclear arsenal in the world and is famous for his outbursts of insane anger.

How do we adapt and change to deal with that? We become more outspoken with our love. We stand up, together, and we help each up when we get knocked down. We can no longer sit idly by when bad things happen. We can’t just read a news article, say “that sure is terrible”, and then close the tab and go back to our latest Netflix binge. Instead we have to share. We have to speak out. We have to show our solidarity, not merely hint at its existence.

It all goes along with the old question of who’s guiltier: the bully or the bystander? The person doing wrong or the people who enable the wrong doing? It’s easy to say that the bully is guiltier, but the bully would not be bullying if they didn’t have an audience. If we stand up to the bullies, the bullies stop. It may take a while, and we may get knocked around a bit, but if we can show the bullies, the bad people, that we will not accept their behaviours, then we have taken away their power.

Obviously this is an oversimplification of a very tense and difficult situation, and the main thing to do is to make sure that you are safe. As with everything, you need to take care of yourself first.

Please be safe, please take a stand. Let’s make 2017 a better year than 2016.