Godday peeps!
Turning a blind eye. To what? It can be various things from our own personal inadequacies all the way to severe crime and how it impacts our own lives, relationships or those of others. what if we could change our own destiny for the better, the destiny of another? How much are we turning a blind eye to? How destructive can it be? None of us want to see the ugly in ourselves, in others, in our world but how much of this is responsible for the things we are currently experiencing as individuals? Collectively as a society, as a world?
Born into child abuse, mental, physical, Bullying, daily poisoning feeding me things I was severely allergic to without proper medical care/lying to medical staff to alter their perception on what is happening, sending to homelessness as a teen, exposed to pedophilia (external of my family but at school, neighbors etc.) almost falling into trafficking ring and gangs, led there by unsuspecting well meaning relatives trusting my future with family connections...Just to name a few Having to fend for myself when the adults tasked with raising me were not responsible enough to properly care for me, it gave me perspective after many years of over analyzing situations I was too young and inexperienced to understand. For a long time I thought I was the wicked one, that the adults in my life must have known something I didn't. But what was so wrong with me?
Why wasn't I savable? what I was going thru didn't seem normal to me but none of the adults around me were batting an eyelash either. Was I wrong? I was Told "my parents were doing the best they can". Later I got a partial answer from one family member "we were too busy focusing with our own troubles to help you" by the same that claim my parents were doing their best. But if "crimes against a child was their best" and we are too busy to help...really? I was a child it was owed to me until I was 18. A safe household. Turning a blind eye= as guilty as the one doing the crimes/abuse and called enabling bad behavior to continue.
Yet not all adults in my life were abusive, some were kind well meaning good citizens of the world, at least at first glance. what happened? They were consistently turning a blind eye to my parents transgressions against me even if I was screaming it from the rooftops, even today. A simple conversation as it was not ok to treat a child in such a way and embarrassing them, probably could have changed things for me back then, when I was too young to save myself. The abuse continued relentlessly because everyone refused to see it, everyone refused to hear it. Attempted murder of a child with neglect is a crime after all. Isn't it? Not providing basic necessities , isn't that financial abuse in itself?
We all see these sad stories on the news of dead kids and teens at the hand of their circumstances and we all think "Awwe poor angel RIP, so sad, why did anyone do or allow that?" Fact of the matter is even the well intentioned that say such words may have indeed done just that, turning a blind eye to transgressions several times that enabled that sort of behavior and escalation to a situation beyond repair or the extreme, trauma or even loss of life. Tell Tina Fontaine to her face her life didn't matter because everyone was too busy and turned a blind eye. Tell that to the other victims that couldn't get as much national attention and are still "missing". The only difference between her and I is that I'm still alive, somehow.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47544095
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Tina_Fontaine
On the news we see a teacher, a coach, police officer, doctor, politician etc... gets arrested for child abuse/molestation for 10-20-30 years and many victims surface at once out of the blue, we say "why didn't these children tell someone who could do something?" Chances are they were screaming it from the rooftops for just as long and was labeled a troublemaker or just ignored. Everyone turned a blind eye, allowing the accumulation of victims because they are outstanding members of society. Are they really tho if they are hurting children?
We see a scantily dressed girl potentially drunk or a poisoned drink, at a party or being out late at night like parking garages or on the street got raped on the news, we say "well she asked for it dressed like that" or "she shouldn't have been drinking at a party" yet better, the girl that has to work late at night "why was she out at that hour?". Somewhat fair yet not at all. Why do we blame the victim? Why don't we blame the rapist for not controlling his urges and commiting a crime because he has a promising football career or has a good job? Turning a blind eye to the real culprit.
How guilty are we? How easy is it? We see this murdered "troubled teen" that lived in the street and we say. Well she was a troubled teen that ran away from home, she couldn't be saved, she shoulda just stayed home to the care of her parents. We judge the victim, not the perpetrator for some odd reason. Was she troubled or was she trying to escape something very troubling that most couldn't even think of in their worst nightmare?
We see on the news about a "street worker" being found dead in the streets and nobody looks into into it because well, "she's just some hooker, she shouldn't be a drugged up hoe and she would have avoided it all". Once again judging the victim, not the killer, he generally never gets found and goes on to kill many others. Why doesn't anyone think, "well how did she end up there? Was she abducted or coerced/groomed and drugged until dependency to be pimped out to make some dude money?" No we don't we judge the victim. Almost 90% of the time. Turning a blind eye to the real problem. "We don't talk about those things, they are dirty" and we move on with our lives...then it happens to the next one and the next one and the next one until someone puts a stop to it. Until somebody finally stands up and stops turning a blind eye but how many victims does it take?
We see on the news about an abused women killed by her husband/partner, we say "Why didn't she leave the abusive partner?" Once again judging the victim. The bigger question should be, why wasn't anyone around her helping her leave? Convincing her to safety? Yet we continue to turn a blind eye. Until he takes on another unsuspecting victim that ends up abused and broken, and then we turn a blind eye again and again. Nobody bats an eyelash until someone has to die and even then barely. We feel sad-ish for a minute and continue with our lives like nothing happened.
Someone commits suicide, we say "Why didn't they speak out, I would have helped them" chances are, they were and everyone turned a blind eye to their suffering for many years yet tell them "you're an adult, get over it", none of this is a split decision made one day out of the blue. We blame them for leaving their families behind to mourn but not the family and friends that ignored them and made them feel completely alone and worthless to the world. Turning a blind eye and we continue with our lives.
The holocausts, we all judge the past and say "we would have stepped up and done something about it, never allow such atrocities" the whole covid fiasco and "comply, get vaccinated or you don't deserve to be part of society" I experienced is proof otherwise. Reality is, it began with one transgression, that escaladed to another, than another and another to the point where it was nearly impossible because the majority turned a blind eye for too long even after over 3 million people had perished and a world war where more lives were lost. Because they turned a blind eye. Someone else's problem, thank god it's not me.
We tell the refugees " What are you doing here if you don't want to assimilate? Live like us? go back to your country if you want to carry out your old ways" Once again victim blaming. How about blaming the government interference, foreign and domestic starting wars often unessairly bombing their homes? We turn a blind eye to that too. Wars started for domination of resources or people, demanding power over others or else. Or is it "someone else's problem, thank god it's not me"?
here in Canada, we tell the Natives "get over it, it was over 100 years ago, we are not responsible, get a job lazy ass" or label them with stereotypes associated with mental illness, homelessness, addiction issues. Once again victim blaming. Why not investigate the catholic church and the government for stripping them of their culture and identity with residential schools that operated until the late 90's that caused all the mental health issues and everything associated. Put blame where it's due would be common sense but I guess that's not our problem, thank god it's not happening to us.
Homelessness is on the rise around my city, probably the same story around North-America, tent cities growing, new ones setting camp. Yet we say, "get a job, stop doing drugs" along with other insults. some it may be the case, what if instead of victim blaming once again, we blamed the real situation? Greedy landlords, greedy corporation underpaying employees, grocery corporation over-inflating prices to maximize profits to gross levels, government taxing the working class until they are drowning in debt to give to their rich corporate friends in a form of corporate welfare? It is all of our problem but somehow we turn a blind eye to that too. Turning a blind eye towards our own situation for some stupid reason. Why? Why aren't we doing anything about it besides go to work, pay taxes, overpay for food, rent , other life essentials? Working longer hours to make up the shortfall. Is turning a blind eye not impacting us?
We see on the news about missing children, teens and adults, yet many governments around the world are involved in mass human trafficking that would make the Holocaust seem like a walk in the park along with a number of other crimes against humanity, suppression of information, poisoning our food, our air, our minds causing us to look the other way by any means possible. Guess what, we as a society, once again ARE LOOKING THE OTHER WAY, enabling it. No way Government would hurt people, we trust them, they are there to benefit society. Really?
We worship Hollywood and music stars like they are gods, follow all their latest trends, buying their latest song or movie yet how many of them are commiting these same crimes? Yet their countless victims still mostly go unheard to never be seen again, like they didn't matter. You would think Epstein Island, NXIVM cult, Peter Nyguard, Harvey Weinstein and all the likes would have made us do a double take? How many of us still listen to music or watch their movies giving money to court proven offenders? Were they not outstanding members of society envied for their riches and cool for getting all the chicks for many decades until all their skeletons fell out? Were the victims not speaking out? They were actually but no one cared. We all turned a blind eye cause all those guys are rich and cool. We still do for some reason.
NFL Super bowl, a massive event, every one jumps for joy when it comes around. Yet some of the largest human trafficking operations in the neighborhoods where it's hosted are taken down and as soon as one goes down 5 more appear and enough news article to prove such. Yet we turn a blind eye because we like football and drinks, especially the Super bowl and throw money at it like it's the next best thing since sliced bread. Who are the customers for these vile acts you think? It's a fucking tradition tho. Year after year. NOOOO NOT THE SUPERBOWL Lady Rainbow! Yes that is tainted to.
At school or at work, anywhere in society we observe bullies pick on someone we think is different, most just join in, laugh or do nothing. Because it's not us or maybe it's just seems like a little joke by multiple people over and over and over again. We say "that person needs tougher skin". Do they tho? Why blame the victim? Maybe the bullies could just not be assholes, maybe someone could step in and say something, make it stop rather than watch an innocent get destroyed. Yet it's easier to turn a blind eye even if it includes physical violence or injury. We laugh, we think it's funny instead or "well it's not me...Imma just stand over there and watch the show".
I could state examples until the cows come home but you get the point by now. It's easy to turn a blind eye to something or someone because we love something about it or them, or it's not affecting our lives, seeing things thru rosy colored glasses, nobody likes negativity, ain't nobody got time for that... We all do it to some level. Sometimes we turn a blind eye to our own shortcomings because we don't want to face them, however little or big but it doesn't mean it doesn't have an impact towards our own life or others. Maybe we don't want to admit the shady parts of ourselves, maybe they somehow bring us enough joy to be willing to ignore the chaos it brings around us, the footprints it leaves on minds, on the world? Sometimes we chose to turn a blind eye to others misdeeds because they turn a blind eye to ours in return.
Lives being destroyed, families torn apart, relationships and marriages down the toilet, a soul sucking world riddled with war, famine and all the things we dislike because it's easier to turn a blind eye. Pretend it doesn't exist so we can carry on with our lives in some half cohesive way. Never taking responsibility for ourselves, our world, then wonder where did it all go wrong? Why are we experiencing this? Because we turned a blind eye to what made us uncomfortable, the ugly. The irreparable damage caused is an easier solution than looking at the ugly.
If you ignore them nothing ever changes for the better. These things escalade, impact our lives more and more until we finally can't ignore it, figure it out and do something about it. By then, how much damage has been done? Little by little? It all accumulates over a life span, over the generations, the millennia's. History tends to repeat itself because we turn a blind eye.
When we finally observe and act instead of turning a blind eye, then our lives change, perhaps we change someone else's life, perhaps many even over the course of a lifetime. Who knows maybe even the future of the world. If you have been living in the same planet I have been and I'm pretty sure all of you have been, it looks like a big dumpster fire on many fronts. Almost apocalyptic for some, why are we still looking the other way? Don't we want to leave a better world for the next generation? Or do we think it just magically happens and carry on like nothing is happening, like we don't need to change anything? Mental illness is real and it begins with turning a blind eye to someone, a situation, to the world and it escalades until we see what we see today. Hurt people hurt people. Yet we keep hurting people because it's easier than to admit our actions that maybe less than desirable have hurt someone and maybe we should do better.
All it took was to turn a blind eye to one bad act towards another at the beginning of civilization to escalade into what we see and live today. When will we stop repeating history?
Can we stop turning a blind eye soon, leave a better world...eventually?