I don’t actually hate Pauline Hanson. I think she’s a genuinely concerned member of our population who decided to run for office, was successful and has since espoused her deeply held views. She is alarmed, as many of us are, about what we’ve become and where our society is headed.
I just think she’s wrong. Very, very wrong.
Yes, there are faults in our society as there are in all societies around the world. But we are a good-natured folk, people of good temper, we make great neighbours and we’ve got hearts of gold when we’re needed.
All we need is to work together to make society what we want it to be. And the fun part is we all want it to be something different. But take a second and try and picture our society in microcosm. Imagine our entire country is but a small town. Somewhere say like Bedford Falls in “It’s A Wonderful Life”. For the most part we justifiably see ourselves as the Everyman, George Bailey. And we recognise that there are people in our town who aren’t as nice as we think they should be, such as Mr Potter – the mean-spirited banker played by Lionel Barrymore.
But for the most part, we try to live our lives in accordance with the teachings of just about every religious faith ever discovered…be nice. We believe in fairness, justice, equality, a good education for our kids, good health for our loved ones and enough money to be comfortable. We want clean streets, clean air and for it to be safe to walk the streets at night.
We don’t want the big guys picking on the little guy. We want all the freedoms we can grab but we don’t want those liberties to include the right to hurt others. Or to deprive others of their own freedoms and liberties. We want the guilty punished and the innocent protected.
But we rarely want to have to do anything to help make it all happen.
There are a few good people who do try. Most of the folks who inhabit our emergency services, anyone who gets off their backside for Clean Up Our Town Day, anyone who helps the sick, elderly or the very young and, yes, anyone with the guts to run for office.
So tell me, when was the last time you actually did something to help the other folk in town? Hey, did you vote? Anything else?
How do you want society to be? If you think we’re already there, home and hosed, then sit back and relax. If you don’t, consider doing something about it. Even if you only talk to your friends about it and maybe one of them will do something.
A man once said, "Decisions are made by those who show up." If the only ones who show up share the views of those like Ms Hanson, THAT’S the society we’ll end up with.
Show up!
I just think she’s wrong. Very, very wrong.
Yes, there are faults in our society as there are in all societies around the world. But we are a good-natured folk, people of good temper, we make great neighbours and we’ve got hearts of gold when we’re needed.
All we need is to work together to make society what we want it to be. And the fun part is we all want it to be something different. But take a second and try and picture our society in microcosm. Imagine our entire country is but a small town. Somewhere say like Bedford Falls in “It’s A Wonderful Life”. For the most part we justifiably see ourselves as the Everyman, George Bailey. And we recognise that there are people in our town who aren’t as nice as we think they should be, such as Mr Potter – the mean-spirited banker played by Lionel Barrymore.
But for the most part, we try to live our lives in accordance with the teachings of just about every religious faith ever discovered…be nice. We believe in fairness, justice, equality, a good education for our kids, good health for our loved ones and enough money to be comfortable. We want clean streets, clean air and for it to be safe to walk the streets at night.
We don’t want the big guys picking on the little guy. We want all the freedoms we can grab but we don’t want those liberties to include the right to hurt others. Or to deprive others of their own freedoms and liberties. We want the guilty punished and the innocent protected.
But we rarely want to have to do anything to help make it all happen.
There are a few good people who do try. Most of the folks who inhabit our emergency services, anyone who gets off their backside for Clean Up Our Town Day, anyone who helps the sick, elderly or the very young and, yes, anyone with the guts to run for office.
So tell me, when was the last time you actually did something to help the other folk in town? Hey, did you vote? Anything else?
How do you want society to be? If you think we’re already there, home and hosed, then sit back and relax. If you don’t, consider doing something about it. Even if you only talk to your friends about it and maybe one of them will do something.
A man once said, "Decisions are made by those who show up." If the only ones who show up share the views of those like Ms Hanson, THAT’S the society we’ll end up with.
Show up!
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