When Good Men Do Nothing

"The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

This famous quote is from Edmund Burke who, as a member of the British Parliament during the 1700's, used his great oratory skills to influence the House of Commons by defending the rights of the American colonies and firing oppositional arrows at the slave trade. His statement is no less true today than at any time during the history of mankind. Wherever and whenever there has been oppression, there have been ordinary citizens like you and me who've done nothing to stop it. And we are just as guilty as the one wielding the whip.

Oh yes, I know it makes you uncomfortable to hear that - and I know we're all busy and distracted - but how can we turn our heads and pretend it doesn't happen? 'Isn't it someone else's problem?' I hear you ask. No, it's not. It's yours and mine. Ostriches have never stopped a stampede by burying their heads in the sand.

This is weighing heavily upon me today because I've just received some correspondence from one of the most intelligent and articulate young women I've ever met - and this 'daughter' of mine is in unnecessary pain. She's being oppressed by the society she lives in; she feels worthless, like garbage in the global dump. Not a moment of the day goes by without her being beaten up by her oppressive culture. She feels shame, as though she is the one at fault, just as the victims of abuse feel they somehow deserve what they get from their abusers. The shame doesn't belong to her. It belongs to her oppressors and yet they feel none.

I hear you asking, 'Who is she?' 'Where does she come from?' 'What on earth are they doing to her?'

My answer is this. She's a well educated, lovely young woman. She comes from the United States of America - and she's being slowly destroyed by the hedonistic, superficial society we've bred. She's being shamed by the Beauty Industry, kept in her place because she's 'told' (everywhere she looks) she isn't good enough, according to the standards set by a powerful, some would say omnipotent, Western culture. It's a culture where youth and 'beauty' are revered and rewarded. For women, the attainment of 'beauty' is usually at the top of the priority list; something that once we attain, will bring us status, wealth, love and happiness. Beauty, we feel, will keep us safe. Despite all other achievements in life, beauty remains the primary goal, the Holy Grail. Millions of women spend their whole lives in its pursuit, only to find the mere passage of time steals it away, leaving them lonely, damaged and broke. It's all a horrible lie underpinned by an atrocious double standard.

Just like slavery. So what's to be done and who will do it? The bad news is there's nobody 'out there' who's going to save these women from a life of misery. It's time to stand up and be accountable. It's time to act.

For most of us that means making a conscious effort to not participate in the spread of imagery or in the continued development of the beauty industry...or at the very least its most dangerous aspects. Ever noticed how some of the models in Vogue are beginning to look like painted twelve year olds? Are you aware that it takes the average woman two minutes of flicking through a fashion magazine before she feels depressed? Do you know how much it really costs to make those exorbitantly expensive face and body creams? You need to be thinking 'cents' here, not dollars. Do you sometimes spend what you can't afford on that beautifully packaged, magnificently marketed anti-aging product?

An even more insidious danger presents itself under wraps. Many of the ingredients in the majority of skin and personal care products are deadly. That's right - they're killing you slowly. Dimethicone, for example, is an extremely common ingredient in moisturizers, despite its known toxic profile as a carcinogen. There are thousands of others that maim the human body in ways not yet fully known - and that's because the studies haven't yet been done. There's more than one book in that subject alone.

Are people simply not aware of how we're affected by the semi-pornographic beauty culture we're immersed in? No - that can't be, because virtually every woman I speak to is acutely aware of her own self-image issues. Yet, often enough these women don't blame anyone but themselves. It's a 'blame the victim' mentality carefully nurtured by the world's economic and social powers. It serves them well. It makes them billions of dollars. If women feel 'ugly' and their status and power is linked to 'beauty', they'll pay ridiculous prices to attain it...because they're scared. The propaganda works. Just as it was easy for the white 'masters' of the past to believe that slaves weren't quite human, it also suited the ordinary population to believe the lie because it prevented them from having to think about it. And let's face it, they were scared of black people. Even those who had the good grace to feel a little uneasy allowed it to happen.

Except for a few good men.

And so I'm looking for a few good men - literally - as well as women, to fight the good fight, to refuse to participate in the destruction. And sadly, gentlemen, you do participate with your attitude, your eyes and even with your words. Know that you are damaging those you love.

We need people who will actively stand against this particular evil because evil is always active. It will thrive if good people remain complacent. We need people who are prepared to light candles in the darkness - even when it's scary.

Is there anyone among you?

Mel