What can 1 person do?

Today's not much different than any other day around here. Breakfast, kids to school, house cleaning and alternative news. Some days I read the articles concerning the war, Israel/Palestinian situation, the state of America and I'm just completely disgusted. Some days like today I feel My heart ache terribly over these situations. Children starving, families murdered, lives ruined. I protest the war, write My congressmen and rally for freedom and it's not enough. I feel the need to do more, I feel obligated to do more. What is there? What can I do as 1 person to change things? Granted I can't stop world hunger or war in the middle east, but there's got to be something, right? Tell Me, what can 1 person do?

Peace. K*

What can one motivated person do? Just ask Lee Harvey Oswald.

What you can do starts with you in the here and now; It starts at your home; It starts with your children.

Your children are OUR future.

Teach them right from wrong; show them little things make a difference. Correct your own short comings and strive to be a better person. Do not tell little white lies, do not talk about others behind their backs, do not hold hatred for your neighbors in your heart.

by no means am I accusing you of wrong doing. The point is, we all need to show more Love; we all need to be reproved. I think we tread on dangerous water when our selfish wants out weigh out actual needs. I say this because we as a society seem to neglect our children and they take note.

They grow up being their own little gods; Independent, reckless, and selfish not in need for anyone or anything. Only longing to fill a void that which is never fulfilled. So teach them well mother; and when you see them let them know you Love them and you care. If you are not showing them someone or something else is. You can not change the past, and tomorrow is not promised to you; Let them know today. Speak out against that which is evil, teach them the end results of evil deeds.

..and If you do all this then teach someone else who you know that is not doing this.

Thank you for posting and having the courage to make a difference and not succumbing to apathy.

One person who does wrong, this will spread like an oil spill. One person who does good, its more like Molasses.

One person can not end world hunger, install world peace, change the world. Not for anybody anyways.

You as an individual can feed one child, and end world hunger for him. You can prevent child abuse, and install world peace for that one child. You can change the world for one child.

We as individuals can do so much, but we look at the large scale of things and believe it is a waste of time. But is it a waste of time to that one child?

1 case of child hunger of 10 million children seems like alot, but 10 million cases of 1 child starving is possible.

Martin Luther King

Mahatma Gandhi

Mother Theresa

Rosa Parks

Christopher Reeve

Mattie Stepanik

The list goes on........they were high-profile people who had the WILL and INTENT to change their world. They became high-profile by their actions but still remained 1 person just like you and me. I know we get mired down in our every day lives such as the kids, housework, grocery shopping, etc. but it only takes small actions, small steps to make your voice heard. The task seems daunting but it truly is not.

Example......a local 14-year old girl had an idea. She noticed flyers in the mailbox from time to time from local shelters asking for donations. Items such as toiletries, baby diapers, baby food, clothes, etc. She decided to write the editor of her local paper and ask him if he would include a WEEKLY column outlining the specific items needed by the local shelters. That way the information would reach alot of people without any cost to the charities. He said....YES!! The column has been running for over a year now.

I'm proud to say that 14-year old girl was my little sister!!

to your little sister.

One person can do alot. A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. It does not happen over night.

Tell your sister to register so I can give her a WATS vote

One just ORDINARY person can spread patience, tolerance and care. One person can listen and let others unload a burden.

I quit going to church when it became all liturgy and language, and the people doing the talking weren't doing the walk that goes with the talk. So I walked out.

Now, my children are all grown and gone. I live in an apartment complex with many who do not speak English at all. I can be cheerful, helpful, honest. I can confront problems, find out who's in charge of what, and cooperate.

Yes, I write and call my Senators and Congressman, and their office knows me now, as a person who is interested in public affairs. I write to Editors, Publishers, Corporations, Foundations, public figures, and I explain why I think they missed out on something. Otherwise, they wouldn't know anybody cared.

I assembled two web-sites; an eBay store; and I participate in half a dozen forums and 29 newsgroups. When you're retired, you'll get to do this too.

Give your kids a squeeze for Aunt Emily. : )

Well one person thought of and got this website started, Simon Gray.

One Man With Courage Makes a Majority
Andrew Jackson

One person can do it all. One person can set the example, and who knows, others may follow. If everyone thought, I can not make a difference we would never get anywhere.

True. And public opinion does quite often, get tripped over.

I'm fairly good at that.

What great replies. Thank You so much. After mulling things over for a few days I've realized that I just needed to change My way of thinking. I tend to only see the 'big picture' at times and feel I cannot make an impact on this huge level so I become overwhelmed. What I fail to see is that many small 'snapshots' make up this big picture and that's where I need to start. As the snapshots change so does the overall picture. I need to turn My emotions into action. Thanks guys.

Peace. K*

Originally posted by Demetre
What great replies. Thank You so much. After mulling things over for a few days I've realized that I just needed to change My way of thinking. I tend to only see the 'big picture' at times and feel I cannot make an impact on this huge level so I become overwhelmed. What I fail to see is that many small 'snapshots' make up this big picture and that's where I need to start. As the snapshots change so does the overall picture. I need to turn My emotions into action. Thanks guys.

I would only like to share with you a warning about turning "emotions into action." Not once should emotion gain mastery over judgment; Your emotions can fool you since they are only responding to perception and stimuli.

With that in mind; seek the Truth. Let the Truth become you and your words, your heart, your mind, your actions. Do what is just and uprightly.

--also not saying you should not have emotion. no no no... What I have said is: everything needs to be tested and not be ruled by emotion.

When you ask what can 1 person do concerning the way we are wasting our own lives while watching our government destroy millions of others, there is an answer. And as usual it all comes down to the source of the question.
I recommend that you work towards putting your family in a position where they remain focused on the goal of becoming 'self-sustaining'. Prepare to show your children the importance of providing for themselves in a world where nothing is guaranteed. The only way to do that is by setting the example through attempts at organic farming, producing your own biofuels, and understanding and sharing the tremendous benefits that can be found in "permaculture" techniques.
If your kids don't have the 'weirdest' mom in school it's because you accept the way the system grooms your children's future.... so they don't stick out from the rest of the herd.

If you feel like you have become too comfortable where you and your family are right now, and also the urge to provide some sort of 'aid' to the suffering you see around the world... you share a very common disposition towards life in general. (I don't know what you call it)
but more than likely you are not even willing to consider the sacrifices or tremendous changes that would have to take place in your family's lives if you functioned like you HAD to provide for yourselves on a routine daily basis. But if you traded everything you have for a couple acres of land a few miles away and turned your journey into an experiment on 'independence', it would automatically turn your children into survivors... and with the right inspiration your families quest and experience they gain would be an important example for everybody in the community.

What else is there?
What bothers you about the bombs going off, where they land? who they landed on? who pulled the trigger? ... or why were they dropped by a government who's actions will eventually be responsible for the death of over 50% of todays population?
For someone in your position it is irresponsible to focus on the pain and suffering around the world, when it has probably never crossed your mind what you would do if all of your food had to come from the ground... instead of wrapped in cardboard and plastic. If your not the kind of person who has ever consider eating out of a dumpster, skinning gutting and cleaning a fresh animal, or surviving a long hard winter with 10lbs of rice and a rifle... it's because you are spoiled rotten from being handfed by a contaminated system most of your life and now your playing the 'middleman' to provide a similar foundation for your children's future.

I don't know, maybe you have been focused on the sad events that are taking place all over the world for a good reason... that should make it look easier to 'break the cycle' in your own way of life and for the future of the children that you DO have the ability to save. Your little boy or girl has a better chance of bringing a 'cure' or some solutions to this world then you are, especially if you seperate them from the herd A.S.A.P.
We've all heard the saying "you reap what you sow", so you can't blame anybody else if you have never eaten a fresh fruit or vegetable from a seed that you planted. I can't stress the importance of teaching your children how to DIG.

Please understand that I am in no way trying to insult or persecute you as an individual, this is about as impersonal as I could explain this to a young parents in general. To be honest with you, other than the emotions and I have experienced in life, and the few that I've been able to share with others... so far I'm just a waste of skin. So please don't think I was trying to belittle you in any way.

It's just that you DO have the ability to 'save the world' once you find that you and your loved one's have the ability to survive under the most extreme conditions. Right now, nothing makes your future more vulnerable or life as dangerous as buying into the trash we are all so used to fetching from the grocery store shelves.
Imagine how much you will change the world when your family is the only one for hundreds of miles that knows what it takes to survive without the many luxuries(such as store bought food) that our lazy asss s love being chained to.
So the next time you find yourself consumed by reading or thinking about how you could possibly make the cycle of life change and become something 'special' for people in other parts of the world, it won't just be a waste of your precious time IF you understand how hard it would be to MAKE somebody else change their ways.

Depending on your area I'm sure the community would be willing to support your courage and help your family along the way.
As hard as it is to get someone to face their reality if they were forced into 'independence', most people would be relieved that someone else already took the first steps.

I hope you don't regret asking this question.
Good luck.

Great post, contentious... much of what you say is what I'm slowly realizing day by day.

I am COMPLETELY spoiled rotten and I know it. While I consider myself a compassionate person who loves animals, I don't like the fact that I cannot, as yet, bring myself to go out, kill something, prepare it and eat it. I goto the FRIGGEN GROCERY-STORE. It makes me sick that I've watched so much TV and that growing up, I was allowed to watch as much as I wanted and to play as many video-games as I wanted.

But day by day, I'm hopefully reversing all this... I TOTALLY understand everything you said in your post.

Originally posted by Demetre
Children starving, families murdered, lives ruined. I protest the war, write My congressmen and rally for freedom and it's not enough. I feel the need to do more, I feel obligated to do more. What is there? What can I do as 1 person to change things? Granted I can't stop world hunger or war in the middle east, but there's got to be something, right? Tell Me, what can 1 person do? Peace. K*

One person...yes you are only one person but you can do so much. Continue to rally for freedom, continue to write to your congressmen, sponsor a child in a third world country - motivate others to follow your lead.

If all you do is inspire one other person to fight for change and to speak out then you have made a difference. If you inspire one other person to sponsor a straving child then between you and the other you have saved two children and so forth.

The Self Sufficient Life, By John Seymour

This book is a classic, well-written soup-to-nuts basic guide to sustainability. From gardening, to soil care, to animal husbandry, to the slaughter and butchery of livestock, you learn the basics of growing, canning, and preserving food crops along with the best ways to dress game and livestock. There's humor in here, great illustrations, and it makes an excellent coffee table book that's sure to spark some good discussions. Nothing is comprehensive, but this book is a great start.

While not everyone will get to live on a farm in the country, the skills here can be passed around and split up in inner-city neighborhoods and suburbs. This is what your great-grandparents knew and everyone since has forgotten. -- MCR

[edit on 4-4-2006 by Contentious]

One person can enoble their soul to the point that they can easily impress upon the hearts of people around them, their all embracing love, generosity, forgiveness and sympathy. In this way, self erected divisions and antipathy within another person can be worked upon without even addressing these issues.…And with time, these issues wouldn’t be so tough to discuss.

One person can influence the future of our humanity through their rapport with children, and through bridging the gap between the elderly and children.


[edit on 4-4-2006 by organic]

one person saved saved every's soul (jesus), one is (expletive deleted) up the world.(bush)

Mod Edit: Profanity/Circumvention Of Censors – Please Review This Link.

[edit on 26-4-2006 by AgentSmith]

Then why others vote for him? Why vote at all? Do you want the puppet on the right or the puppet on the left?

One person can do something... there are many persons like you, thats the key....
No The key is to unite and manage people like you in some way, a partisan GOVT maybe? Imagine a new GOVT, where every person like you is a member . Disregarding birth place, color or race or wallet size.

We need such GOVT, or more correct if i say a World Wide Outlaw Cartel. Where people bycott other GOVT and do what is really best for them not what the GOVT thinks is best for them.

What do you think?