I’ve been very busy and not blogging lately. I do apologise!
I’ve been running round like a headless chicken trying to arrange various events for my Uni Women’s group, and attending my first ever protest march. Reclaim the Night London 2008. Busy in a haze of feminist activism which raises eyebrows amongst the less enlightened and causes many a raise eyebrow and a ’so you hate all men then?’.
It was amazing, I have never felt so alive, so impassioned, so powerful, so in touch with what I believe and what I want, so close to mechanisms of progress and change. It’s fine and dandy me sitting here writing things hardly anyone reads, but to be out there doing something, being part of something that stopped one of the world’s biggest cities in it’s tracks. That was amazing. That was what brought it home.
So many people try and tell me I’m deluded or on some pointless crusade, that I can’t change the world so why bother doing anything?
I try becuase I care, I do this because I Know I CAN have effect, I may not change the world but I cannot sit back in complacency and watch while my beliefs and values are constantly challenged, I cannot sit back silently while peoples basic human rights are ignored.
I am aware I am exceedingly lucky to have the freedom to air my opinions to let my dissent be known.
I aware people are tortured, murdered and forced to leave their homes for believing what I believe. For daring to speak out as I do. I in turn with my freedom must speak out, use what I have in the hope others will be able to share in my freedom.
People do change things; I am concious every time I go to vote that women died so I could have that right, if they had not organised themselves and fought I would be silenced. And that is just one small example of how we can change things.You only have to open a history book to see how people taking action has changed the world; the civil rights movement, democracy campaigners, the Greenham women, the tollpuddle martyrs etc etc.
I always say that even if I make the world just a tiny bit better for just one person then that is worth it. I belive that and that is why I will continue to march, write letters, blog, voice my opinions, vote and use all the tools at my disposal to affect change. I will not be beaten my complacency and a defeatist attitude and I refuse to let others attitudes bring me down, you can tell me over and over how ‘I’ll never change anything’ but I know I can. I know I have. You might not be willing to get off your fat arse and help make this world a better place for all who dwell in it, but I am.
So screw you anyone who deems me going on a march ‘wont do anything’. It did. I had an amazing time and I will be there next year, and I will be in Liverpool on the 7th March for our march.
Our shiny banner
