I'm Only Human After All

Take a look in the mirror,

And what do you see

Do you see it clearer

Or are you deceived

In what you believe

'Cause I'm only human after all

You're only human after all

Don't put the blame on me

Don't put your blame on me 

Lyrics from 'Human' Rag'n'Bone Man

I read an article today reporting that hate crime has doubled since the Manchester attack and this triggered some thoughts. It is amazing to me that after the events we have seen this week, but also after the attacks in Paris, America and London we witness both the very best and the very worst in humanity. We see First Responders, whether trained or just caring people like you or me, who rush to give whatever they can. We see Nurses being fed pizza and people offering beds for the night and all this alongside our amazing Emergency Services who give of themselves tirelessly. My heart is torn apart when I see such suffering but is healed when I see humanity acting as one to care and to love. The homeless man who cradled a mortally wounded lady in his arms as she died, that is an image that will stay with me forever. A nation that is united in grief and it carries, like a wave, around the world as more voices are added in grief and support. THIS is what it means to be human and it is actions like these that, when multiplied, will mean the terrorists bomb will never succeed in breaking us. Moments like this make me proud to be human and through my tears I know that there is something that is amazing about being human.

But then Katy Hopkins tweets about 'The Final Solution" and the gutter press is set in motion and starts to vomit forth hatred and blame thrust at whole races, communities in a desperate attempt for further validation and higher sales. I read UKIP's pathetic vote grasping manifesto which seeks only to further divide in an attempt to survive. Social Media platforms are crammed with posts and tweets with hatred aimed at Muslims and any other minority group who can be blamed for the loss of life. This is when we are at our very worst, this is when humanity is a blot on this planet and if we were weighed by these actions alone we would be found desperately wanting. Political point scoring at the expense of grieving parents or won over the grave of a child is something that is revolting but so are the people that seek to increase the levels of hatred and of violence. Right now we are seeing the very best of Humanity, as Ariana Grande offers to pay for the funerals of young fans and the very worst as hate groups run amok across our nation.

We must find out how we can best support our Intelligence Services and Police who surely need greater resources not curtailed ones to better prevent these atrocities. But, it is not Theresa's May's fault and even higher levels of policing could not stop the detonation of a Terrorist's bomb when triggered by such heartless and unswerving hatred. Neither is there much to be accomplished by looking back into history and shaking fingers at Tony Blair and Governments of the past. I have watched Bitter Lake and it is true that the current instability in the Middle East is due to American greed for oil and a blind over simplification of the issues burning at the heart of the conflict. BUT that isn't going to stop more innocent children being killed and it isn't going to prevent families from being ripped apart in a hail of gun fire or the Suicide Bombers explosion. 

I'm not saying that we shouldn't feel angry. Being upset and moved to tears shows that you are alive, so wonderfully human! But anger cant be the sole motivator because when that happens, hate crime doubles. Neither am I saying that the countries problems can be solved by love because that would be incredibly naive. It's a good starting pointing though! Ask yourself this. Why do we really only see communities disregarding their differences and bonding together at times of deep hurt and crisis? You could say that it's the British war mentality and there is some truth in this. But we have seen the nature and understanding of community, of common spirit replaced with something else. Selfish, twisted introverted greed! Look after number one because everyone else is. Well, how's that working for you? Not looking good from where I sit. We have a broken country that is being ripped apart not from outside but from within. We are better than this! We need to care more, we need to love more but the sort of love that heals wounds and walls out hatred. Proactive love means we feed the hungry, proactive love runs towards a burning building to rescue those inside. We need to look past ourselves and put aside our differences. 

Let's start now and see what happens when we focus on what makes us human not what kills and destroys.