By: Hanan Barre

As a child, the world was a simple place. Everything was in black and white, and a distinct line in between. The good and the bad. Two distinct groups. No in-between. The villain would always be obvious, he’d be defeated by the hero and the world a safe place again. Happily ever after was possible and good would always triumph. Faith ran high. 

As I grew up, that line blurred and  the world greyed. The villain could be staring me right in the face and I wouldn’t know it. The “heroes” were subjective to personal opinion. My “hero” could be your villain. Everyone was fighting their own battle and the only victory anyone cared about was their own.

Unity and working for the good of the community became pretty non existent. My faith in the world waned. I came to terms with the fact that my prior beliefs in humanity and working for a greater good were delusions, and my dream of a better world fantasy. There was no hero in this story,just different levels of villainy. Everyone working towards their own end with no care for who got caught in the crossfires. 



A human life was no longer sacred. Millions would die and we wouldn’t bat an eyelash. Heaven forbid ,some food be stolen by a hungry orphan, watch the backlash as all the people scrambled to uphold the so-called laws and the integrity of the judicial system. “No ‘criminal’ will escape the law.” I wonder where that law went when millions died fighting for a cause they knew nothing of. I wonder where that law went when women were raped and the rapists escaped Scot free,sometimes even provided justifications for their actions. I wonder where that law went then. Is this the world many died trying to build? Is this world people died fighting for? If so , there sacrifice was really for nothing. 



And now, now I hope. I hope that this isn’t the reality our forefathers dreamed of. I hope that things have just hit an all time low and the we’ll bounce back from it stronger. Because it’s the only thing saving me from insanity , the only thing that gets me out of my bed in the morning. The reason I want to raise awareness, the reason I want to fight, the reason I want to change the world,the reason I want to dedicate my life to not only my own benefit but to that of my people.



 I’m not crazy for dreaming of a better world for my off spring. I’m not mad for thinking ,with the right moves, this world can be as beautiful as my childhood fairy tales.