Growth mindset, collectivism and liberation.

I will never stop learning now.

All oppression is inextricably linked.

I feel shame and guilt to be privileged and have partaken in behaviour that serves me and oppresses others.
I feel as a member of the ethnic diaspora, I should have done more in the space of learning more about the oppression encountered by others in the world. And maybe not used it to advantage myself because the freedom of everyone relies on the freedom of everyone else.

The constant paradox that exists between rich and poor, black and white, male and female. So much so that the groups that have continuously maintained the upper hand and the historical advantage are blinded by their comfort and privilege and are unable to see the evident and obvious paradoxes EVERYWHERE.

The willingness to ignore a genocide, or think that it doesn't affect us is the height of supremacy. Our systems are built on this, and rely on this to survive.
They rely on the omissions of truths in order to force people to think in certain ways.
Omissions and systemic harmful rhetoric is what has allowed us to get to where we are.

Why is it unsafe to call out genocide?
Why is it unsafe to say Israel is committing atrocities?
Why is it more unsafe to report on our lack of humanity, more than the actual genocide of a people?

How is it that I now cannot see the thousands of dead babies and children when I look at my kids?
The guilt I feel that I get to live this bubbled existence in which, for now, I don't have to worry about their safety?
The thing is that I now know I don't belong here either.
I don't belong in a system that relies on indoctrination, systemic oppression and constant omission of information from birth to death.

A system where we are told to let our babies biological needs for closeness be classed as clinginess and a "problem"
A system where we are separated from our families for 40 hours a week.
A system that doesn't understand the neurobiology of childhood development.
A system where we punish responses to trauma by using imprisonment and deprivation of rights as a "tool"
A system where we value material goods more than we value human life.
A system where we can barely die with dignity.
A system that thinks "well I got through the bad thing- so others should be subjected to it and quietly get on with it"
A system that literally punishes anyone that doesn't fit the mould and challenges (mostly respectfully) the staus quo.
A system that throws the word terrorist around with Arabs and other people of colour - and does not ever condone its own actions, much less consider itself the terrorist.
A system that touts the values and virtues of "universal" human rights, whilst being incredibly selective as to who gets to experience those right.
A system that considers learning cursive writing and pencil grip more valuable than learning sign language or multilingualism.
A system that considers that individualism and the comfort associated with that is significantly better and easier than collective discomfort and therefore collective prosperity and growth.
A system that is built on harmful and dangerous rhetoric disguised as just a joke.

So yes, I might be posting too much.
And I might be ranting a whole bunch too.
But if the ethnic diaspora around the world keeps being silent because we are considered too much, too angry, too aggressive, too non-conformist, too ungrateful- I fear we will become those with no conscience and the systems that exist will continue to perpetuate until the people speaking out against genocide will no longer be able to.
Our strength lies in our collective and when we can see that, the tides of change will turn.