What is going on with humanity today?

This entry is not directly related to sport however, the ecosystem and society that prevails around us does dictate to a very large extent how people in it will prosper in sport or otherwise. When basic necessities like safety and security become an issue, is it really surprising that sport and performance is not a priority on anyone’s list?

In the wake of the incidents that have been splashed across the media over the last few days, my faith in humanity really has come under question. To begin with, 6 rapes in 24hrs – two of these incidents took place within a 10K radius of my residence, one was a gang-rape of a 6year old girl ( are you kidding me?) IN HER SCHOOL ( WTF?), two cases were gang rapes of young girls and another case was eerily similar to the Nirbhaya case, the brutality of which had shocked not just the nation but the entire world. Add to this the bombing of an airplane by a country.

How are we to progress as a nation? as a species? when we fail to realize that we are all just extensions of each other on a daily basis. Basic courtesies such as respect and tolerance seem to have been packed and thrown out of the window last week with the trash. Initially my reaction was sadness, followed by disgust and now – other people’s actions are giving me sleepless nights. These incidents also make me reflect back to the many incidents that have occurred with me as well as the conversations I have had with a lot of my girl friends (runner or otherwise) of  harassment and eve teasing that they have faced or do face on a regular basis. Where are we humans,  as a species, headed towards? Atrocities have always been a part of human nature but basic requirements which make us human – like a conscience seem to be slowly creeping away from our psyche. Even animals, as a general rule, have the decency to attack species other than their own. Really makes one wonder which of the two are the more “evolved” species in comparison

This got me thinking back to 2011 when I had just returned back to India and would as a general routine go gallivanting all around town until the wee hours of the morning, I could not understand why my family would be constantly worried sick of my whereabouts. I had taken freedom, safety and security for granted. My brother then made it a point to ensure that every time I went out, there would be a “lathi” tucked under my seat in the car and a well sharpened kookery at an arm’s length concealed within the vehicle. These two are safely tucked away in the car on a permanent basis now. He also gave me a few simple words of advice at that time, ” If anyone ever threatens you in anyway, don’t be afraid to use one or both of them!” – Golden words!

Off course, now as a general rule I am within the comfort of my home at an average of 8pm but there still are rare occasions when I do venture out later. I am also very lucky that I am usually accompanied by people on such outings. Recent events though have seen me add a pepper spray and now I also have thoughts of incorporating a stun gun within my arsenal.

My point here is that we as family and friends have to be terribly careful of the evils of the world we live in and the mind numbingly sick people out there. I don’t know if one person alone has the power to change the mindset of masses of people, but what we do have is the responsibility to empower ourselves and the ones around us with all the strength and equipment that they need to protect themselves. So, I think we should do just that and would sincerely urge anyone reading this post to do this and do so actively!

And yes, as an afterthought, I realize that I do know the answer to that question  – We humans, as a species, are all going to hell!