One morning, I did something out of my typical nature. I arose early (no, that's not it) and watched Television. That morning was May 23rd, the day of the Manchester Attacks.
A sick, vile creature detonated an improvised explosive device at Ariana Grande's concert in Manchester. Twenty-two people - including children - had their lives torn away from them in an instant. Another 56 were hospitalised, and many more were emotionally scared.
That morning, I watched in shock as bodies were slowly identified by torn apart families. That morning, I heard of fifteen year-old Olivia Campbell, who never made it home. Not for a final hug, nor a petty argument about something silly like party decorations. Never to laugh again, or reach sixteen. That morning, I cried from the comfort of my lounge room like so many other people that day.
The morning air was heavy, and as the sun rose the air seemed cooler that day. I spent the rest of the day in an emotional haze. At first, a remorseful one that slowly faded into a sullen sadness. Some time during that week, I wrote this in my journal:
"
Think nineteen undeserving people who have left the world. The potential forty parents who need to wake up everyday where their son or daughter doesn’t exist. And the countless family members, friends, and loved ones that are missing someone right now. It’s hard to imagine it happening, isn’t it? Someone here one second, and gone the next for the most messed up reason.
Let’s not give any terrorist of any form what they want. Let’s not be divided for the sake of something so sinister. Let’s not point fingers at individuals because their religion or ancestry are connotated with terrorism. Don’t treat someone as less human because they’re from somewhere related to terrorism.
Treat the terrorists and extremists as inhumane, because they are. They’re terrible. Every single attack in the media makes my blood boil, my heart weep. It’s messed up.
We need to remember one thing. We shouldn’t live in an ominous world where our anxieties are dictated by terrorism. We shouldn’t need to spend a night out with that draining thought in the back of our minds. You shouldn’t need to board a train with roaming thoughts of fear, but I guess that’s the fucked up world we live in.
Please, don’t forget who the real enemy is. Don’t let terrorism shape the way we treat people, because that’s what they want. They want us divided.
"
Today, on November 9, the headlines and tweets are all too vaguely familiar. Something else horrific. The same street. The same dreadful feeling in my stomach.
At 4pm on Friday, November 9, a knife-wielding man - for lack of a better phrase - attacked police officers and innocent pedestrians at Bourke Street mall. One man died, while two others were sent to hospital. After being shot by police, the man died in hospital.
This attack has been treated as an act terrorism. An act of evil targeting innocent people in a bid to communicate a message. An act of evil designed to strike fear in people's chests.
Terrorism (n) - the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, in the pursuit of political aims.
I've always believed people are free to form their own beliefs, and that these beliefs should be respected even if you can't agree with them. But the instant people force their beliefs upon others, that belief becomes an ideology of evil, regardless of what that belief is.
Terrorism is an evil crafted to make us live in fear. We pay close attention to the grotesque headlines, and get this heavy feeling in our chests. You may board a plane or train with doubt in the back of your mind. You've seen evil before, what's stopping it from happening again?
The way my mother speaks of her childhood during the seventies seems so foreign. Gone are the days of kids riding their bikes up and down streets alone. Instead, we dead-lock our doors at night and are reluctant to say 'Hello,' when passing strangers. We think the world is a scarier place, and live inside social media bubbles of dark headlines and horrific stories.
We're happier and safer than ever
If you've got a spare fifteen minutes, watch Gates' Living In Extreme Poverty presentation, in which he uplifts viewers by showing a decline in extreme poverty trends, all while pointing toward what humanities' objectives should be in the future.
Despite the news stories of outbreaks and terrorism and war, despite the vicious tweets from politicians, despite the increasing trend of terrorism, we're happier and safer than we've ever been.
In the past, conflicts have typically been between several countries. There were an estimated 40 million casualties during the First World War, while a staggering 60 million people were killed during The Second World War. During the Afghanistan conflicts, since 2001, there have been an estimated 100,000 Afghan civilian deaths. Although no death count is a positive one, these figures look promising in contrast to The Great Wars or The Vietnam War.
Within a broader context, global death toll because of battle is on a steady decline. Source.
The narrative is similar for those facing extreme poverty, or for people's work hours.
In Australia alone, wages are up, unemployment is shrinking, and age expectancy is growing. Columnist Scott Pape (Mr. Barefoot) once wrote that 'We're living in one of the wealthiest countries,' during 'The wealthiest time in history,' and he couldn't be more spot on.
In 2000-01, the average Australian wage was $34745. Adjusted to 2017 inflation, this figure is $54043. According to the ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics), the average wage for a full-time working adult in 2018 is $82,436. Indeed, this average wage may seem like a generous estimate for some, but the fact still remains the same: we've never been wealthier, happier, or safer.
Still, the negativity bias will be prevalent within our lives. The newspapers will keep publishing the bad news, and our twitter feeds will forever fill up with dramatic tweets. I'm not saying there isn't bad in our lives, just that we could be far worse off.
We could live in terror, just like a few sick 'humans' wants us to. Or - we can look at the bigger picture, and think of several reasons to keep smiling. To keep going about our lives like we do each day, free and without fear. Because, the moment we fear our neighbours, that's the moment we've lost. To live with fear is to live without freedom, and that's what they want.
~
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