I figured with the long, drawn-out election we’ve just had, everyone wants another post on politics! Haha – ok maybe not. This may be a story of hope though, wouldn’t that be a nice change!
When I was at the polling booth a lady behind me commented how we had all got there early to get it over and done with as we had better things to do…I know this sentiment is widely held. Can I just say, you’re deciding who is running the COUNTRY, but we’ve all got better things to do… huh?
What has any of this got to do with me, as someone who writes a blog to educate families about natural health? I have always had some sideline interest in politics but now I am very passionate. Boring of me I know, but when someone is threatening the well-being of your kids, you start to take an interest (I hope). You start to realise you are a cog in this wheel and maybe you want to take that small role as seriously as you can. Did you know the government is looking to remove our rebates to natural therapies? That, for me, is an issue.
So hang on, why do I say that someone is threatening the well-being of my kids? Here’s what I’m seeing:
Schooling – we know that children do better through play-based learning and we have cut ALL play out of the prep curriculum. My daughter started having anxiety attacks a month after she started school and the deputy principal shrugs and says: “yes, lots of kids have anxiety these days”. I DON’T CARE IF YOU THINK THIS IS NORMAL, IT IS NOT OK!!!!
Food – regulations and awareness are changing, but the government is years behind the research and I do know of more than one mother who has been reported to DOCs because her child is on a paleo diet. Oh, I’m so sorry that vegtables, meat, fruit, nuts and seeds is offensive to your sensibilities, I’d better just take my child to McDonalds for a more balanced diet… Why is it ok to go to Maccas but not ok to have a child eat Paleo??
Medicine – parents are losing their rights to choose and I don’t care what you choose but you expect to have that power don’t you? As a parent? To choose? I do. I’d like to keep it. As we willingly hand over our rights to choose medical procedures we are making it easy for “them” to take, take and take more of our freedoms. I guess my point really is, why is there even a “them”? They are supposed to represent the people…aren’t they?
Natural Therapies – basically it is being argued there are no health benefits to every known natural therapy – from yoga to massage to herbs – you name it, they want to tell you it doesn’t work and push you toward using even more western medicine. Again, I’d like the choice for me and my family, thanks anyway.
So to back up for a moment – I did say this is a message of hope. Why do I take hope from this election? Because the people, us, we were moved to elect independents and minorities into our senate. We were moved to vote so little for the major parties that we created a hung parliament. We are finally seeing that perhaps the power is ours to choose something other than a major party and we are stepping into that power, expressing our discontent with the status quo. I like that. I take hope from that.
I hope that as we move forward you take an interest in politics. It isn’t boring when you have to fight for what is right and fair. It isn’t boring if you passionately care about the people in your life and want what’s best for them. We need to know that together WE decide and make our government one that truly represents us.
Please care.