The World We Live In

Once again, it’s been a while.

A few things are happening that contributed to my lack of posts in the last month or so.

It’s really two things: medication changes, and the state of the world today. I can’t be the only one who works through emotions on a daily basis, hearing about the lives of people across the globe. I am privileged in a plethora of ways. The vast majority of world issues do not affect me directly, I am very aware of my privileges in that sense. Unless you have a giant pair of horse blinders connected to rose coloured glasses, I think it’s impossible not to be overwhelmed by the world we live in…

*Warning: This is a very heavy post. Topics include war, suicide, violence, and oppression..*

Civil wars are tearing entire countries and cultures apart. Syrians have spent the last six years in a horrific civil war. Iraqi citizens are experiencing their own hell inside their country. A crisis of war-torn displaced families are stuck in refugee limbo, unable to even attempt to rebuild their lives. We have flying robot drones that are killing civilians instead of targeting insurgents. There is institutionalized racism causing innocent black families to lose sons, daughters, fathers, and mothers. The gun violence in the USA resulting in 31, 808 gun violence incidents so far in 2017, along with 187 mass shootings (Source: Gun Violence Archive). The LGBTQ+ community is still trying to recover from the Pulse Nightclub mass shooting hate crime. The same LGBTQ+ community is still facing discrimination, with their human rights not guaranteed by legislation in an overwhelming amount of places. We are celebrating Canada’s 150th birthday when there are thousands of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women whose families cannot get answers because of a disconnect in law enforcement, and you guessed it- institutionalized racism. In Canada, we don’t even know the true numbers of the growing population of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, because there is no national source for information regarding missing persons (Source: Native Women’s Association of Canada). There are huge changes proposed to health care legislation in the USA that could strip many demographics of their access to medical care. There are issues with affordable medical access in the USA anyway, and the current bill hasn’t even passed yet. Veterans are coming home to a country that won’t support them, and abandons them at every chance they get. Health access for veterans, including mental health support is in a dire state. Veterans are dying by suicide every day. There is an unconstitutional travel ban in place, which propagates Islamophobia and intolerance. Sexual violence in Canada affects 1 in 3 women, and 1 in 6 men (Source: SACHA), and it doesn’t seem to be declining.

…And that is only scratching the surface. FUCK. I am often overwhelmed with the vast darkness present in this world. I do my best to keep pushing, and I’ve been successful in that aspect so far. I do my best to be grateful for every day, that’s not always successful. I know I am not alone, and that helps. My support system is one of my greatest privileges and I don’t ever want to forget that.

I hope that you can appreciate that these are my feelings, even if you have different views. I believe that civil discourse is an essential part of learning about our world and the people we share it with.

❤

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Try to keep your head up, but I think it’s normal to have lower days. If the lower days keep going, try and do a mental health check. We don’t have to be at our wit’s end to seek support, and support is available. Please remember that. You are not alone, and there are people who can help. In Canada: Suicide Prevention Canada Local Crisis Centres Directory , in the USA: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, in the UK: NHS Suicide Help, in Australia: Lifeline Australia, in Europe: International Association for Suicide Prevention Crisis Centre Directory.

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To learn more about the issues I have mentioned and to find ways to help, please visit the following:

Native Women’s Association of Canada: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

Black Lives Matter

Shaun King, Activist and Journalist

Canadian Council for Refugees Mission Statement

Refugee Council USA Mission Statement

International Rescue Committee Impact Statement

Open Society Foundations Understanding Migration and Asylum in the European Union

Gun Violence Archive (Statistics with sources cited)

NPR (New USA Health Bill Summary)

The Lifeline Canada Veterans General Resources (Canada and USA)