It all started with an article written by Ross Gittins about the response by Australians to the bushfires. I don't want to get stuck into the argument about motivations - that's a whole other can of worms. The point that resonates with me is that we have a collective attention span that would shame a goldfish. We get all wound up about immediate, short-term disasters and actually get off our arses and do something. But around social justice, environmental change, global inequality - for most of us its too hard.
The challenge is: why isn't this motivation, this compassion, this giving a **** normal for us? Why don't we act like there are a million bushfires going on out there every day? Laura Brown has a great line in the comments section of this blog post: Compassion isn't like an indie band that you have to stop liking once their music gets used in an advert. Which I may well have put on a T-shirt.
But it doesn't stop there. If compassion isn't an indie band then neither should it be put behind glass with a little hammer next to it and a sign saying "Use Only In Case Of Emergency" underneath.
Soften the **** up, Australia.
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