“Perspective gives us the ability to accurately contrast the large with the small, and the important with the less important. Without it we are lost in a world where all ideas, news, and information look the same. We cannot differentiate, we cannot prioritise, and we cannot make good choices.” ~ John Sununu
**This blog post has been edited for improved/reliable content**
In this day and age, it is so easy to let news pass by and die out with time. We see one article or Facebook post and react; whether it’s with compassion, empathy, horror, or otherwise. Then the next hot topic strolls along, and we move on. Life is such, isn’t it? Who’s got the time to think about a problem for more than a couple of hours about a situation?
We can’t let that happen.
In November last year, US President Donald Trump made the decision to lift the ban on elephant trophy hunting and imports from Zambia and Zimbabwe. President Obama had put in place this ban as to increase the conservation of elephants and put an end to elephant trophy hunting. Although this decision had been changed and the ban remained, this change in mindset may have come as a courtesy to the outrage of the public. Yet how long will this hold up? One can only hope that the ban will remain, given how the common man reacted against this decision.
When you enter into life underwater, or even into the territory of the savannah – it’s for the animals alike that the land belongs to. It is their land and you can consider yourself fortunate to be able to witness them in their beautiful and natural homeland. It does not give you the right to harm them under any circumstance. The planet does not “belong” to humans; as much as we believe so.
Before I stray off topic though, let’s come back to the original situation. Is there a voice inside your head that tells you, “I’m one person, how can I make an impact?” Firstly, you never know how much of a difference you can make. Additionally, even if one person may not be able to create concrete footprints, an army of those that believe that each person can do something, may be able to. Think of the Washington March that happened earlier last week.
If you think about it honestly, the issue of the ban on elephant trophy hunting is only one amongst the many across the globe. As I’d mentioned earlier, it is so easy to get lost in your own lives and problems, that the general tendency is to move on from an issue. The hashtag #BeKindToElephants will also die out if not already done so, amongst the wave of fresh news that will spring up over the next couple of months.
Naturally, what happens is that we tend to relate to concerns that hit closer to home. However, in situations that people come to you outraged or heartbroken about a problem – the solution is not to say, “Shit happens in the world, what do we do?” I personally believe it’s a privilege to say that, and it’s important to be compassionate to someone who comes to you with a problem. It isn’t easy to when you’re caught up in the race of life, although where is this race going to take us if we don’t stop and get a reality check every now and again?
I have a suggestion. In light of all of these issues across the world, be it the conservation of elephants, the disastrous consequences of an earthquake, the struggle of refugees – which will sadly continue on…
What YOU can do, is to strive to #BeKind or #BeCompassionate about every situation.
Remind yourself that for whatever you have, whatever little that may be, you should be thanking your stars for that.
Not every person has the fortune of it.
P.S. Pertaining to the original thought process of this blog, Say NO to Ivory Trade
UPDATE: The UK has officially placed a ban on ivory trade. Read this link for more information. The environment secretary has mentioned that the ban is more stringent than the one in the US and China. Let’s hope that the EU also joins in placing a law on the ban of ivory trade.