Three questions come to mind:
- Which of these children cried: “How dare you, you have stolen my dreams and my childhood!”
- Which of these children was never given the opportunity to cry?
- Which of these children had the slightest reason to lament and complain?
Her cry, “How Dare You!” resonates with children the way “Yes We Can” did with adults for Obama.
It’s their world now! Do you know the Eagles song “It’s Your World Now?”
If the two questions at the head of this post were the ONLY questions available, that would “lead” one towards an “answer” along lines consistent with a very simplistic, (“binary”) view of the world–!!!
That is, that there are many who find themselves in IMMEDIATE circumstances, far more dire than those of a young woman from a relatively wealthy, socially supportive, European country.
That however, is far from the WHOLE story, here–!!
Fortunately, we are NOT limited to asking ONLY the above two questions. We can (perhaps MUST) ask some broader questions…..
(1) Do ALL of the young people pictured, (& the millions more whom they may “represent”) have something legitimate to say….to all of us–??
Do we ignore a young woman & what she has to say, merely because others have more IMMEDIATE needs around education, housing & even food–?
Can we see legitimacy in the “cries” of young people, regardless of where they come from….or do we place these young people in a “competition” for who ought be heard-?
Essentially, can we walk & chew gum at the same time–??!?
(2) Will climate change/global warming & the degradation & destruction of the environment, have terrible ramifications for ALL of humanity’s “children”, & for the very future of ALL of humanity….& those other living creatures with whom we share the planet–?? What can we DO about mitigation of the catastrophic picture which scientists forecast WILL be the future, if we continue as we have been doing-?
The ORIGINAL questions (placed strategically alongside their accompanying images) appear to be asked in such a manner as to imply that, because she’s from a weathier, more “priveleged” background, where her IMMEDIATE basic needs are met (in contrast with the other children pictured) Greta Thunberg doesn’t “cut it” in terms of ANY need–!!
In addressing the U.N., this pretty impressive young woman in fact, made mention of her being “one of the lucky ones”…& in an IMMEDIATE sense, she may be–!!
Nevertheless, her future, AND the outlook for the many millions of young people from ALL countries/ALL circumstances IS now & WILL be in the years to come, dramatically impacted by choices//planning & courses of action which MUST be decided upon NOW–!!!
Accordingly, it IS accurate to say, (as Thunberg has) that the dreams & even the very “childhood” (the “right” children OUGHT to have to feel secure & remain “childlike” until adulthood inevitably arrives) of this & subsequent generations, HAS been stolen–!!
Our children & grandchildren, wherever they may live, WILL be effected by the action (or absence of same) we take NOW to try to mitigate the worst of the effects of climate change. In that so little is being done, today’s children are ALREADY suffering, through CURRENT anxiety around what is predicted for the years to come.
Their future, unfortunately, DOES seem to be every bit as bleak as Thunberg claims–!!
That IS a stealing of the dreams, and the childhood of ALL young people, in ALL parts of this very troubled, “gasping” world we ALL call home–!!!
Thanks! A comment true to Ray Cullen’s form. The fact alone that I am sitting here typing comments online shows that I have had a sheltered, protected and privileged life!