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Variations of “Not In My Backyard” Reverberate in my Mind
Social justice will only work only if we are ALL willing to give up something for those in need. Talking about it is NOT enough.
When I was in school for my graduate degree in natural resources, our class was asked to write an essay following the reading of Tragedy of the Commons (Hardin, 1968). It is required reading in most environmental programs.
The essay I wrote discussed the placement of high-power electric lines through our local neighborhoods in Wisconsin to supply electricity to people in another state and the larger metropolitan areas due East. Naturally, most of the people in our community (our backyard) did not want the high-voltage lines running through their neighborhood.
The essay follows at this link: https://1drv.ms/w/s!Ap0DuOisn9RtlEOgUzuB-pW8egPA if you are interested in reading it. It is several years old. Copyright applies with all rights reserved.
What I Am Seeing Now
Tonight, I saw a social media post advocating for letting all those in need have what “we” have. Frankly, it irritated me. I’m tired of these bandwagon posts.
The reason I am tired is that I want the people making these posts to put their money where their words are. It was dinner time. I was incensed.
I told my husband that I was tired of these posts. They do nothing. Are these people who want everyone to have everything willing to give up something of their own to make someone else’s life better?
Somehow, I doubt it.
Call me a cynic. But if people did something — anything — to make the lives of others better, they’d probably be doing it, not talking about it. I know a few people who do just that! They inspire by doing, not blathering about it on social media.
The Conversation Continues
To my husband, I proposed that if 100 people gave $1,000.00 each to make the lives of others better, that would equal $100,000.00. That’s quite a chunk of change! Some difference could be made with that kind of money — perhaps small reaching, but a difference all the same.
