Each One of Us Can Make a Difference

"The banality of heroism is why, when people ask what they can do about the seemingly unsurmountable problem of mass incarceration and mass injustice, beyond donating to organizations or showing up at rallies, I offer simple advice:

Be conscious. Learn about the problems and the solutions. Then spread the word, to anyone who will listen--whether it is your friend, your bus driver, the random person you chat with on the street corner. You're an educator if you want to be. And you never know when some small progressive seed will sprout and flourish and produce change...

Changing policy is what will ultimately change reality, yes--but changed policy is a result of changed public consciousness. We all have a hand in that mission." 

-- Baz Dreisinger, Incarcerated Nations: A Journey to Justice In Prisons Around the World (Other Press, 2016)
 
My name is Dustin Gordon (IncarceratedStudentsThoughts.blogspot.com), and my friend Bryan Noonan and I are writing guest blog posts for each other. I wanted to begin with a quote by Baz because I am often asked by friends and others what difference they can make in the larger scheme of things. Very few have time to organize or attend rallies or conferences, but each and every one of us has the time to speak to those within our spheres of influence. Changing the public consciousness concerning issues like mass incarceration, mandatory minimums, or other injustices is a huge mission that everyone who is knowledgeable concerning the issues can engage in. 

Becoming knowledgeable about the injustices and disparities found within our cities, states, countries, and the world at large can be difficult, but there are many people working very hard to make this information easily accessible to all those who are interested. Magazines like GEEZ, which can be ordered through www.geezmagazine.com, and websites like www.SocialJusticeResourceCenter.org are two great examples of places where people can go to find information on injustices in our societies and ways they can help to make a difference.

Consciously making an effort to affect change is never easy, but it is necessary if we want to live in a better world. The least that each and every one of us can do is to make others aware of the injustices that exist. It is so easy in today's society to insulate ourselves from the injustices that others experience. Many good hearted and compassionate people are walking around with blinders that they do not know they are wearing. A short conversation or an email with someone unaware of their blinders has the potential to set off a chain of events that affects countless others. I hope everyone reading this blog discusses a topic concerning injustice this week with someone they come across. Do your part to help change public consciousness.

(Bryan's shameless plug: You can start conversations with others by sending them the link to this blog and asking them to read some posts so you can discuss them together.)