Act
When an injustice is taking place, the majority of people will either complain about it or stay silent and just struggle through it. They may think, “I don't like it, but this is just the way things are…There's nothing to be done about it…certainly nothing I could do about it…If I try to do something about it, there might be consequences – I'm not willing to take the risk…”
And then there are those who will actually act.
These people see or experience injustice and feel that they cannot stand by and just let it happen. They realize that they do have the power to effect change and get into action doing whatever they can. They understand that standing up to tyranny does carry a risk and determine that it's one that they are willing to take, because they feel a deep conviction about the cause. And so, they do something.
The power of action is in motion today in London. A group of fed-up citizens calling themselves the “Blade Runners” have determined to destroy every surveillance camera the city has put in place as part of their Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) initiative. Through ULEZ, citizens are charged high fines if their vehicles fail to meet certain environmental standards and are restricted from moving freely throughout the city. It's creating an increasingly heavy burden for families and businesses.
The Blade Runners are simply not having it. They seek out the surveillance cameras set up to catch citizens in violation of ULEZ standards, take them down, and steal or destroy them. They could face up to four years in prison if caught, but apparently deem it worth the risk. These acts of daring send a powerful message to London's government: “You can't control us.”
So many of us have been conditioned to think that there are certain things we just can't do anything about, or that if entities more powerful than us set something in motion, well, that's that. The Blade Runners show us otherwise. You know there's something going on that is deeply wrong? You can do something about it. It could be as hands-on as cutting down a surveillance camera, or it could be speaking out about an injustice when no one else will. We are only powerless if we choose to do nothing – there's always something that can be done, if only we have the courage and conviction to act.
Where is action needed in your world? What events do you see going on around you that are crying out for someone to do something? Will you be the one to act?
