How to be an advocate for change

Ever since I was little, I've often fantasized about living in the pre-civil war era in the USA just so that I could be the voice of reason among people who didn't seem to know the first thing about human rights. But the more I learn about history as well as the things currently going on, the more I realize that my voice would likely not have made one bit of a difference. I would have just been one more person that, because of the situation I was raised in, was not dependent on slaves for my livelihood or standard of living and could therefor easily see it for the travesty it was.

But. For the sake of argument, if I somehow could go back, maybe, just maybe I could use my social graces to change some minds. Based off of how I handle current ethically problematic commonplace practices, I think it would go a little something like this:

That actually played out even better than I was picturing. I really nailed it talking with that redhead lady and getting her to turn her horribleness around. And that whole comic really highlighted my amazing typography skills. But really. How do you stand up against all the commonplace atrocities being committed around us every day without just alienating everyone around you? Because, if you pay attention at least, many of  our small daily choices make us directly complicit in the suffering of other humans and animals.  How do you convince yourself that there is any point in caring about any of it when making a real difference seems so impossible? Do you just try to not be awful to those closest to you and call it a day? I sure wish I had some halfway decent answers.

But. For now, I guess I'll keep periodically saying foolish things that alienate most of my friends and family. I'll do it for the exploited people in the third world. And the non-human animals everywhere. It's the least I can do.

Literally.