popthirdworld:

Small confession.

When some lefty friends say they vote based
on one issue – refugees – I use to wince a bit. There’s a lot going on
in this country beyond this issue. But I don’t wince as much now when I
realise how knotted up it is with so many other issues.

How a
party votes on refugees tells you how committed they are to the law and
fair trials. To human rights. To kids’ rights. To not allowing racism (a
disease in our society) to fester. To a free press. How willing they
are to imprison journos, doctors and social workers for just doing
their most fundamental job – speaking up to protect the sick, raped and
needy (my lord that’s what we’re doing). How willing they are to use
vulnerable people (which with a twist could be a lot of us) as
scapegoats for bigger problems.

Allowing bad rhetoric on the needy to fester leads to Trump, Brexit and
just a lot of bashing of vulnerable kids on school playgrounds every
day.

So yeah, voting on refugees rights tomorrow isn’t just about
refugees, as important as they are in themselves. It’s about us.
Especially those of us who kinda need a solid rule of law, fair trial,
free press, less-bullying, rights-protecting society cause we’re
different cause we’re poor, slow, brown, queer whatever.