Nimbyism is a great thing isn’t it? Here in dear old middle England we positively excel at it:
“We’re drowning in rubbish, we need a new landfill site…”
“WHAT?! Not in my back yard…!!”
“There’s a housing crisis, we’re looking for brown field sites to develop…”
“Hey?! Well, yes everyone needs a roof, but don’t go spoiling our lovely country view…”
“We’re building a new detention centre to temporarily house asylum seekers…”
“HELL NO!! Absolutely not, don’t even think about it!!!!”
It’s habitual isn’t it? And ok we’re knee-deep in the ConDemNation so there’s not likely to be many development projects getting off the ground anyway, but I don’t hear about many pressures groups pushing for HMP to build on the wasteland next to their village or a refugee camp to be set-up behind the rec.
We have access to the interwebs now. Our screens provide a window to the world – our world. We can read every day about atrocities and injustices and, as we lock our doors of a night, setting our alarms and protecting ourselves against the threat of perceived harm, we weaken ourselves against the bigger threat of apathy.
I took this picture on Sunday August 29th, an inauspicious day in many ways, but as I looked to the periphery of my own back yard my eye travelled further off towards the horizon. Where does our ethical back yard end? We all know that it’s possible to be as moved by events occurring in our immediate vicinity as those across the globe. We are all united by our humanity and dispersed by geography and fear. Will we ever take the focus from ourselves for long enough to start making changes?
Will we ever hear the phrase ‘Not in my back yard’ and know that it has a positive meaning; a global reach? Is it possible to acknowledge that as a community we hold the power to prevent pain, fear, poverty and abuse, and to put this power to good use?
August 29th was chosen by Tara as the theme for this week’s gallery. She wanted to mark the day that a group of bloggers travelled to Bangladesh to do something positive to bring about change. You can read about them here.
My friend Garry had a similar take on this theme – I like his style…
As usual P you have the words to reallymake the pojnt! Lovely skyline. We often forget to look up at that time of the day don’t we?!
That was brilliant. Well done and a great skyline photo too.
**APPLAUSE**
Marvellous, marvellous post. Your photo captures beautifully the amazing colours, as did those which bedazzled and bewitched me on Sunday. As for the words…
“We are all united by our humanity and dispersed by geography and fear.”
I gasped when I read that. Those words could have been uttered by Kennedy or King or, hell, even Ghandi.
Stunning.
Thank you for the link up, and for your kind words. 😀 x
Fabulous, fabulous post. I don’t think any comment I can make can really do it justice!
Perfect x
Yup *nods* perfect. xx
Great post Paula. Stunning photo and words. Especially the line about being united by humanity and dispersed by geography and fear.
So true – I love big skies and there’s not enough of them round these parts. They’re excellent for getting your head together. Thank you for your lovely comment x
Wow, amazing post and stunning photo.
Been thinking about this a lot lately too, but you do put it so much more eloquently than most.
Thank you so much x
You are a very kindly man… I ‘ve just had to google those words in case it turned out that I’d unwittingly stolen them *phew* I haven’t.
Thanks for your lovely comment – proper made my day 🙂
Too kind – thank you Julie x
Been thinking about this too – you put it well
Mwah, thanks lovely xx
Thankyoukindly lady xx
Thank you! That means a lot coming from you 🙂
Thankyou, that’s very kind. x
Thank you – and I just read your reflective post – ditto on the eloquence lovely xx
Thank you! I do love to see your smiling face popping up here, always cheers me up 🙂
I don’t really have anything to add to the comments above but I just wanted to say I found this post really thought-provoking.
Thanks Autumn, sometimes it’s good to turn things on their heads 🙂
I like how you expressed this. So many people are happy to go along with all kinds of twaddle as long as it does not directly affect them. Thing is, ultimately it does. People power seems to be on the decline and ‘me, myself’ attitudes on the rise! Jen
fascinating take on the prompt. wonderful post.