The campaign organisation HOPE not hate‘s Weekend of HOPE will see hundreds and thousands of leaflets delivered to houses in the UK and thousands of people will take to the streets with a simple message: communities are stronger together.
We live in an era in which certain politicians and oligarchs are hellbent on dividing us to further their own dark purposes. Perhaps it was ever thus, but I am sure I am not unique in feeling that it is most definitely worse than it has ever been in my lifetime… and altogether more ominous.
The USA is collapsing fast into a fascistic, authoritarian rogue state. Minorities are being persecuted, the vulnerable attacked, all criticism and resistance suppressed and the language of hate and division the government’s main currency of communication. Democracy itself is under siege, with gerrymandering, voter suppression measures (including threats to mail-in ballots) and the very real fear that Trump’s henchmen will intimidate voters at the midterm polls. If you follow what’s happening right now, you will know that the Constitution is being violated on a daily basis and that Congress and the Senate are continually bypassed or shut down. Meanwhile, Trump has weaponised the Attorney General’s role and is blatantly and brazenly going after his political enemies with trumped-up (sorry!) charges.
This really, genuinely resembles 1930s’ Germany. That is not hyperbole. Go and listen to Professor Timothy Snyder if you doubt that the boxes are being ticked.
So. It’s grim.
BUT people are fighting back. This weekend will also see the ‘No Kings’ protests in America and the ‘No Tyrants’ in the UK. Obviously, ‘No Kings’ would not go down quite so well here!
And many of you will be aware of the democracy meter activity going on on South Devon’s streets. You can find out more about this grassroots’ initiative here. Maybe you will be inspired to start your own group?
https://www.commongroundorg.co.uk/
This weekend is all about pushing back against the narrative that everyone in the UK is obsessed with immigration, that immigration is the root of all problems and woes. It absolutely isn’t. And we don’t all instantly take against anyone who is different. Most of us can look beyond skin colour, dress, accent and recognise our common humanity. We face the same issues and challenges: the climate; cost of living; our health, mental and physical, our love for our families, our need for basic things like a home, warmth, water, food, safety. We don’t, luckily for us, all face the same pressures and threats: war, famine, discrimination, persecution, abject poverty, violence. We could all switch our energies from anger, resentment, despair and envy to kindness, empathy, compassion and generosity of spirit.
Hate is so corrosive, so ugly, so damaging to the hater and the target. Why hold onto that? Why not choose HOPE…and not just for a weekend.
