“The personal revolution is far more difficult, and is the first step in any revolution.” ~ Michael Franti
There was a lot of hate circulating on social media today. Hate personified in several statuses against partisans of the Free Patriotic Movement as they rallied in Martyrs Square. Hate in statuses against the government. Hate, hate and more hate. And to be honest, I’ve had it with hate on both ends of the spectrum. The entire country has had it with hate. It is only because of hate that division was made manifest until the iron walls of separation took their toll on our constitutional institutions, parliament, cabinet and now our streets. It is only with hate that war was made a reality, which lasted well past its 15 years.
The Free Patriotic Movement, Future movement, Lebanese Forces, Kataeb, the Progressive Socialist Party, Amal, Hezbollah (et al.) are all parties that represent many things to many people, but at the end of the day their supporters –whether you like it or not- are our mothers, fathers, friends and compatriots. These people on the streets today (and in every other rally) are our larger Lebanese family. They are the ones who paid the price of the civil war as they fled from shelter to shelter. They paid in blood, sweat and tears. They paid with their assets and with priceless years of their lives -and they struggle still. But, I have yet to meet an average family supporting any political party and receiving a pay for it, save for the few hundred dollars that come with election season. Instead -and just like the rest us- they struggle to make ends meet. The men and women on the streets today are not the enemy. The policies of division and personal interests are.
If it weren’t for the hard work and toil of our parents, we wouldn’t be here. In contrast, had they not been so complacent, we also would not have been in this situation. I speak for myself when I say that I want these people -and all people- to have social security, reliable healthcare and a retirement pension. I want us to live a few decent years with clean air, water and electricity and without garbage on our streets. I want the young ones to not have to leave because of lack of jobs and warlords wasta. I want to fight for a better life for them and for me but I do not want to fight them -the people. I want to educate them and make them well aware that their vote is their power and voice and that their vote affects us all, and determines how we live as a nation.
"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them," Albert Einstein once said and so, to me, the best way to go about the myriad crises now facing the country and threatening us all, comes in the form of education, rehabilitation and cooperation, not hate and not more separation.
The demands of the people are one [link]. We all want a fair chance to live with dignity so respecting one another and respecting ourselves is the only way we can achieve that.
Enough with the civil war antics. National reconciliation begins with us. A revolution is not measured with the number of people you can take down to the streets. It's measured with the success stories of people who were taken off the streets and given a decent chance at life.