Live I Live in a World Where

¶ … Live

I live in a world where every day the headlines are filled with doom and gloom. In my world, a government doesn't blink at the idea of lying the country into war. And in my world there are politicians who take rewriting history to the level of art; the Ministry of Truth only wished they could be as good at political cover-ups, sanitizing and spinning the truth. When I'm channel-surfing, I see the same news story covered as exactly opposite reports. Now common sense would tell you they can't both be right; so does it come down to who spent the most money to tell their version of the truth?

And since when is it okay that our government is for sale?

We have technology whose only purpose is to kill more people more efficiently. From drones that safely kill enemies at a distance, to nuclear warheads that can't be accounted for. We have a society that looks the other way, a society that justifies anything if it makes money for somebody.

We have countries that see slaughtering their own citizens, who inconveniently happen to have different political views, as today's pest control operation.

And while we're at it, let's just poison the earth, air, and oceans so we can make a few more dollars, okay? Cut corners building and maintaining a nuclear power plant in the heart of an earthquake zone so we can make more money? No problem. Kill a dozen or two oil workers or coal miners to make more money more quickly? Sounds like a plan to me. Need more oil and oil money? Let's go take over a country.

Have a political disagreement that we can't resolve? Fine, I'll see your nukes and raise you several.

And what would make an ordinary citizen think that his or her vote should count for something when it comes to running the country anyway? "When I want your opinion I'll give it to you."

In my world you can't miss the message: be weak and powerless at your own risk. And yet & #8230;

In my world there are incredibly brave, heroic people who willingly die for others. Soldiers who put themselves in harm's way and everyday people who shove someone aside so the bus hits them instead. People who run into burning buildings to get other people out. In my world there are rescue workers who don't sleep til they free workers from a mine or a collapsed building. There are people who work tirelessly to make sure their fellow human beings have a place to sleep, food to eat, shelter over their heads. People who don't have a lot but will share what little they have if a stranger needs it.

There are brave people who will die to defend an idea. People who will die so other people can be free. Other people who don't look like them, talk like them, or even think like them.