Stop the Coup Rally - Leeds

Yesterday evening I attended my first real protest. I've always been politically driven and wanted to go to a protest but could never get myself up to join one. Big crowds and tight places really aren't my thing and it drives my anxiety high. However, when I read that a flash protest was going to be held in Leeds against Boris Johnson and his undemocratic coup, I had to attend. I had to use my voice. My presence matters. 

I arrived an hour early and there was literally no one. I thought I made my way for no reason. I waited around on a bench as people started filling up the square. An EU flag here and an EU shirt there, people were arriving to join the protest. Next thing I know the square is full of people, all with one goal: stopping Boris Johnson from pushing through a no deal Brexit. 

Fighting Johnson’s Undemocratic Coup

Politicians continue to play games with the lives of the people of UK. The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, is the perfect example of a career politician, and not a politician that looks out for the people of this country. His views on Brexit, and every other matter, is like a yoyo. He moves up and down, all around, until he finds a position in which he profits from. His games have led us even closer to a no-deal Brexit by suspending parliament. This is undemocratic and further deepens the constitutional crisis we are in. 

For far too long we have seen the conservative government risk the lives of the poor and less fortunate, just to give themselves a leg up. What we’re seeing right now is not something new. It has been happening for the last decade. Tories acting in the own self-interest and whats best for their friends, whilst the rest of us suffer. This is just a succession of the actions of Tories, as they evolve into this mean and nasty monster.

Men’s Opinions Don’t Mean Shit to Me

I rarely interact with strangers on social media, both positively or negatively. I enjoy taking the time to express appreciation for someone’s talent, but seldom leave comments as I anticipate an influx of bizarre, unnecessary bullshit flooding the comments section.

Negativity spreads like wildfire. A simple response is seen by so many other users and interacted with in turn. The chain never ceases to die down. For uplifting, wholesome additions, this is always a great thing. Humans thrive on compliments and anything that boosts their self-esteem.

The impact of negative attributions, however, is far more powerful. It sticks in our minds so much more, overpowering any joy. To top it off, we’re constantly told that ‘everyone is entitled to their own opinion’ and that anything said against harmful commentary is under the heading of pathetic, whinging, ‘snowflake’ behaviour. This always stirs something in me, as freedom of speech has been translated to ‘let every bigot have a voice,’ which isn’t the intention of the system at all. I can’t help but roll my eyes when I get that reply, especially from a butthurt cis man, as his fragile ego has been threatened so harshly, in their eyes. They’re demanding I listen. I ignore that demand, and hit the block button. 

Dear Liberal Democrats

The Lib Dems are playing a dangerous game with the lives of people in this country. They can no longer call themselves the party for remainers if they aren’t willing to back Jeremy Corbyn’s proposal for a temporary government. The most baffling thing about the Lib Dems is that they say one thing, but their actions show another. What the last week has shown is that they are in fact the party of anti-Corbyn, than the party for remain voters.

Since the results of the referendum in 2016, the Lib Dems have been calling for a second referendum, or a people’s vote on the type of Brexit, against remain. However, a second referendum has not been a realistic option, until now.

Racism in Football

The new premier league season is only two weeks in and we’re already facing a racism crisis. In the super cup final, Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham missed the crucial penalty against Liverpool. On the weekend, Paul Pogba missed a penalty against the Wolves. On both occasions, the players were racially abused on social media.

Just like every other time, people come out condemning what has happened and everyone is up in arms. They can’t believe this has happened in the beautiful game. When Tammy Abraham was racially abused by his own fans, everyone put it down to “well that’s Chelsea fans for you”. Now Paul Pogba has been abused by his own Manchester United fans. The narrative is that it’s not Man Utd fans. It’s in fact people posing as Man Utd fans.

Modi and his Supporters are Stealing India’s Diverse Culture

Today is India’s Independence Day. A day where Indians, across the country and around the world, celebrate the end of the vicious British rule over the area. It is also a day to celebrate the cultural diversity of India. However, now is not the time to celebrate. Narendra Modi and the Hindutva are leading a fascist regime across the region.

To most people, a culturally diverse country is one which has people of different colours: a country affected by immigration. However, India is probably the most diverse country in the world. It is not just a country of “brown” faces.

Modi is Beginning to Resemble Hitler

Celebrations are rife around the world for Eid-ul-Adha, yet Kashmir is continuing to bleed in the silence that Modi’s fascist vengeance has created.

The revocation of Article 370 has led to a series of human rights violations far more sinister than the world knows. Having issued an absolute blackout, telecommunication has been cut off in its entirety, silencing the dissent of Kashmiris. Tourists and journalists have been driven out of the region, immediately replaced by troops numbering 35000, the largest deployment in the world at this time.

We Can’t Take Any Chances with Tackling this Climate Crisis

Climate Crisis is the biggest threat mankind has ever faced regarding its existence. We need to treat it as if it’s an external force trying to destroy the planet. The way fictional movies treat threats, where everyone gets together to solve a crisis. We can’t leave it for the future generations to deal with this threat. We must act now, and together.

A person becomes extremely ill and they visit their doctor to find out what is wrong. The doctor tells the patient “you need to change your lifestyle or else you will die soon”. This is something none of us want to hear, so what does the patient do? The patient could take the doctors advise on board and change the way their life is being lived. On the other hand, the patient could carry on living life like normal and take the risk. Of course, the doctor is not always right, and the patient could survive, but the odds of that happening would be against the patient.

Obama is a Liberal Hero… But isn’t a Hero for the Rest of Us

We are constantly told about the great times under the presidency of Barack Obama. He is compared to his successor, Donald Trump. However, does Obama being a better human being than Donald Trump – the spawn of Satan – make him a great individual? You would not compare people like Martin Luther King Jr. or Nelson Mandela to someone like Adolf Hitler. Yes, Trump succeeded Obama, but the comparisons need to stop. Obama may be the lesser of the two evils, but he is no saint. 

Liberals of America will show you Obama’s great success story, and his record as president to make you believe he is the hero that we need… that we deserve. But let us actually look at his record as president. Let us not limit his record to the people of America. After all, the presidency does affect the rest of the world, since America is the largest colonial power at the moment.

Gun Control

I’m not surprised anymore. My heart still sinks every time the headlines appear, but I know the epidemic will fail to die down under Trump’s presidency. 

I’ve adamantly stuck to the the belief that people shouldn’t have access to weapons. Not just weapons of mass destruction, but weapons of any sort under any circumstances, including personal protection. There’s no valid reason for civilians to be armed – the notion is simple. Those who are armed for protection set the tone for others: that guns are an aspect of everyday life. This not only gives others the incentive to carry, but it also exacerbates the likelihood of such weapons being used mindlessly in confrontation. Violence in humans is a given, and with guns in the mix, it’s inevitable that their use will be frequent and unnecessarily fatal. 

Welcome!

This is the beginning of something I envision to be an invigorating and informative experience. Given the numerous issues surrounding us in our lifetime, it’s easy for myself to become downhearted and numb, but writing has always helped me express myself and lessen the emotional load. I want to be able to take painful moments from my life and learn from them, as well as document the situations in some way, in hopes of enlightening others going through something similar.