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A plea for civility in 2024
As the language around us grows increasingly ugly and violent, we need to counter it with kindness, humour, knowledge and empathy
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The fight for decency isn’t someone else’s job; it is the everyday fight of us ordinary humans, says the writer.
ST ILLUSTRATION: CEL GULAPA
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In a planet of the easily offended, the gentlest words can spark outrage. In Australia, a cricketer scrawls two messages on his shoes. “Freedom is a human right” and “All lives are equal”. In a troubled time in Gaza, his thoughtful scribbles are a peaceful reminder of our shared humanity.
In a video later, Usman Khawaja clarified that this was not a political message but a human one. “One Jewish life is equal to one Muslim life is equal to one Hindu life.” He was speaking for the voiceless, and yet he was criticised and told to stick to sport as if athletes are a subspecies absent of intellect or compassion.
