40 Reasons to Resist!

by Min Reyes

1. …because the Government’s mandate has been to represent corporate greed, not the people’s needs.

2. …because democracy does not happen only at the ballot box; it should materialize every day.

3. …because there are no super heroes, and there never will be:  it must be you.

4. …because our collective responsibility to each other trumps any loyalty to a partisan government.

5. …because a true revolution does not start with force; it can only start with freedom of the mind.

6. …because we ought to judge politicians not by what they say but rather by the number of individuals they fail to serve.

7. …because the government is supposed to protect its citizenry from corporate power, not be controlled by it.

8. …because government is held in contempt by the people for putting their self-interest over the citizens.

9. …because Aboriginal communities deserve the same basic necessities such as healthcare, education, and drinkable water.

10. …because no social group is above nor below any other.

11. …because promises are not just political rhetoric; a government needs to keep its word and honor its people

12. …because trust must be earned, and constantly maintained, not simply demanded or assumed.

13. …because a government that silences journalists silences the truth.

14. …because silence never helps bring out the truth.

15. …because complacency to abuse, crime, and corruption makes one an accomplice.

16. …because when we face tyranny, our duty to fight is not for oneself alone, but for all those who share in our struggles.

17. …because authority does not translate to abuse of power and trust.

18. …because a ‘strong stable economy’ requires a strong and empowered working class and cannot be built upon an impoverished citizenry.

19. …because the Universal Declaration of Human Rights allows for freedom of information, a right above and beyond partisan political interests.

20. …because we are humans, and our value as such surpasses material wealth.

21. …because there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe nor popular, but it must be done because it is the right thing to do.

22. …because no revolution ever asked for permission to challenge the status quo.

23. …because the nature surrounding us has given us life; it is not right to put a price on it.

24. …because we must be an example to our children of what is right, what is just, and what is truth.

25. …because partisan ideologies fragment reality, and we don’t live in fragments.

26. …because freedom of information is the only weapon against ignorance.

27. …because a government invading our privacy while remaining secretive itself is a grave assault on democracy.

28. …because whistleblowers would not be needed in a government that truly serves the people.

29. …because poverty is not an individual choice but rather the violent process through which those in power oppress us for profit.

30. …because while poverty is not an individual choice, not attempting to abolish it is a conscious choice.

31. …because reason & truth are enemies of tyranny and ideological oppression.

32. …because a life driven by the need to make ends meet is not living, it is merely surviving.

33. …because there is a fundamental difference between a “market society” and a “society with a market.”

34. …because dignity is not for your government to reward upon you, nor to take from you. Dignity is your birthright.

35. …because the tyranny of a government is directly correlated to one’s fear to take action.

36. …because while ignorance is the weapon that divides, truth and solidarity are the strongholds of humanity.

37. …because laws are written by fallible humans, and embody within them the historical context of dominant power relations.

38. …because even though bad laws can be re-written, the lives they impact are lived only once.

39. …because the rights and freedom we do have, have only been achieved through revolution.

40. …because at the end of it all, we would not want to look back and wish we’d have done it when we had the chance.

Editor’s Note: Min Reyes is a journalist and student of historical materialism and dialectics. Presently, Min is fully committed to the global movement of human dignity against neoliberalism. In addition to being a News Junkie Post contributor, Min can be found at her own blog, MinReyes.ca, and you can connect with her on Twitter @Min_Reyes