Part of A World I Can’t Understand
As I sat in my university room, stressing over deadlines to meet and work to be completed I scrolled through Twitter and saw of a decision that I had thought to be simply illogical. A debate that had been talked about for the past week, that had called for marches and gatherings all around the UK, that had been the forefront of every social media website and newspaper article that I had looked at. Of course I’m talking about the decision for the UK to bomb Syria. I realised then that my worries of a university deadline were obsolete; there is much more going on in the world that worries me far more than a late essay hand-in.
This debate had been playing on my mind for the past couple of days, keeping me up at night as I scrolled through feeds full of the videos from Syrian survivors, articles of the atrocities that have been happening all over the world; what they have done to us, and what we are about to do to them. Playing Fallout 4 I can’t help but push back the worry of living in a post-apocalyptic world, because nobody can know what the future truly holds and war never changes. Becoming excited about the new Star Wars film I am reminded of the Rebel Alliance who fight so valiantly against the Galactic Empire, and if our world was like that of Star Wars then which side is which?
Of course, this is the real world, not some game or movie franchise. But that’s exactly it. This is real life. Real lives are in real danger and we can’t simply blame good or evil because in all honestly things are never quite black and white. While I worry about mundane things and spend my time surrounded by this consumerist society, playing games and watching movies, there are far more important things going on in the real world that I need to be aware of and make a change towards.
I’d like to admit now that I am naive. I do not know everything about what went on in the House of Commons, I have not heard the details of both sides of the debate. I am still relatively young, and well, I guess I am known to be a bit of an optimistic dreamer.
But I just don’t understand how a decision like this has been made. No, I’m not talking about the decision itself as, to be honest, I don’t want to go too far into that debate for the reasons stated above and the obvious notion that I don’t want to anger or upset anyone who may disagree with what I have to say. I’m talking about the way that the decision has been made and who it has been made by.
As I scroll through Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Medium, the list goes on, I see countless pleas against such an important and life-changing decision in the form of debates, articles, videos, status’, etc. People are crying out for their country to hear them but the only ones who get to make the decisions cannot be reached. How can we do such an act in the name of our beloved country when it seems that the majority of people living here are against such act? Do we get a say in how we should be handling our worldly matters?
In any situation; be it a creative project, a career change, a marriage proposal, a fresh perspective from persons outside of the involved situation is always a positive one. In fact it’s even encouraged! So where is the fresh perspective when making a decision as dire as this? I cannot simply sit back and let somebody else make a decision on behalf of this country when I believe it will not benefit anybody, not the opposition or even ourselves. My opinion is my own and my reasonings are ones that I understand might not line up in the same way as others so I do not wish to shun or disgruntle anyone who thinks otherwise, I can respect a healthy debate and other opinions. I just want to understand how this has happened and how the UK citizens, those who live and work hard to live within our own country can become a part of this debate.
Should we be expected to just sit back and carry on with our lives? Should I just pick up my pen and carry on with my university studies without giving another worry toward this situation now the decision has been set in stone? I simply cannot. I sit within the walls of a warm house with a fridge filled with food and my family a comfortable phone call away and it pains me to know that I should be blissfully ignorant within my ‘safe haven’ of what atrocities are really happening within this world of mine, of ours. I suppose I should feel lucky. But I have a burning desire within me to help those less fortunate that is always held down under a pot of fear that’s constantly teetering on edge ready to douse the flames.
But despite this, I do want to help. I want my opinion to be heard; to be taken into account. Doesn’t everyone?
We need our opinions to be heard so that we can help. Because people need help.
I’m not too sure how to end this rant. I just needed to write this all out to calm my racing thoughts and to perhaps see if others feel the same. I wish it were as simple as me just pulling my warm duvet over my head and forgetting today, or any other day happened. But I can’t and I mustn’t because as I said; people need help. I can’t help if I’m hidden.
On a lighter note, this is why I love YouTube and all of the wonderful community surrounding YagmanX, together perhaps we can be a little louder and maybe one day be heard. Either that or we’ll gather enough folk to make the biggest and most badass space ship ever and maybe I’ll find somewhere that I can actually understand. With you all.
Originally published at www.yasminc.co.uk on December 3, 2015.
