I am an artivist on a relentless pursuit to improve the lives of children globally. That’s my mission and I make no mystery of my agenda. Being a children’s rights advocate means often not being exactly the most liked but luckily reality is not high school. This ain’t no popularity contest.
In other words, I am a children’s rights activist, not prom queen. I don’t care if you like me.
This is about what you do with your time. This is about how you give back to your community. This is about who you are when nobody is looking. Who are you when the rest of the world is sleeping at 5 o’clock in the morning? I know who I am at all hours, in all types of environments. Life is God’s design. But, there’s more to it, isn’t there?
The way I see it, The Universe is ultimately in charge, and energy is energy. So, if the good organized as great as the bad does, this world could be better. So much better.
This week was a very rough week for children, the empaths, the parents, the children’s rights activists, the people who stand against hate and terror… it was hard for us. ‘Children murdered’ are two words you never want to see next to each other. And when you’re a children’s rights theorist and activist such as I am, and have literally laid your life on the line for children in the past, to watch someone walk into a school and open fire on children, human beings in their earliest stages of being on the planet… you need to take pause.
I realized this week just how lucrative of an industry terror truly is, and tonight I was reminded of how deep the insidious nature of our system goes. A news investigation on the child welfare system in Canada was recently published and I watched the YouTube segment this evening. When the similarities of a psychiatric facility are reminiscent of the child welfare system, and vice versa, I fear not only for our future like I used to, but I fear for our present. People associate children with the future. They associate children with being future adults, and future contributing members of society, that is the value that people place on children. But, children are human beings in their own right. And, as we witnessed with the nonsensical but highly preventable shooting at Robb Elementary School this week, not all children make it to 18. Many human beings die during childhood. This is a reality that we need to face. My best friend was 15 when he died. He has by far been one of the most impactful beings I have ever crossed paths with. His imprint and spirit was that great. It defined him. And I loved him for it. I recognized his spirit during life and I cherish it still in death. But, for other reasons, my best friend Dan’s death was preventable as well.
We need to institute prevention measures, and we need to assess the actual issue at hand and not be gaslit by gun lobbying politicians into believing that a mass murder issue is related to the number of doors on a facility.
DOORS.
DOORS.
This is not an issue of doors on buildings… Take that argument up with some architects and safety planners. This is an issue of there being too many guns in America, racism and classism that goes unchecked, inflated consumerism, lack of mental health resources and prevention measures, and the fact that US children lack fundamental children’s rights (and more…)
But, for the sake of this conversation, let’s focus on the children’s rights aspect for a second. There is a universal document called The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), that is signed by majority of the national jurisdictions in existence on the planet. Signed and ratified by all nations with the exception of one: The United States of America.
This means that the children of the United States do not have the same children’s rights that 99.99% of the world does. It basically makes it so that the duty bearers that are responsible for upholding the rights of children are held accountable, but the USA did not ratify… they only signed.
This is an oversight that the world either ignores, is so well kept secret that people are unaware, or people are acting to actively rectify. People such as myself.
I created a petition calling on President Joe Biden and VP Kamala Harris to do the right thing and ratify the CRC. Whether or not they act on this very necessary document for children’s protection, empowerment and rights in general, is important. What we witnessed this week was preventable. Children’s rights are important. And, I plan on reminding y’all a lot more often just how important the rights of children truly are.
Human beings have rights. No matter what age. No matter what state. And those rights will always be worth fighting for.
I want to send my heartfelt and sincerest condolences to all of the parents, families, friends, loved ones and most importantly, survivors and victims of the Robb Elementary School shooting. You all deserved better.
Children’s rights are essential for child protection. Do not let ANYONE convince you otherwise.
I am sorry to all of the students who now go to school in fear. School is not supposed to be that, at all. Education is supposed to be enlightenment, not training to be a member of an unfulfilled workforce. Keep fighting for your dreams, but don’t forget about reality.
Eyes in the clouds, sure… But make sure to keep your feet on the ground.
Feel the soil below your feet. Nature is speaking to us, and we must listen.
Prayers for peace,
Arielle London
arielle london 
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