Mind of Merc - Real Issues

Sometimes I find my mind wandering over various eclectic topics and occasionally I am inspired to write some of them down. 

Today I was thinking about an article I was reading earlier this week about the recent decision to cast Joseph Fiennes to play Michael Jackson. 
Apparently this has caused uproar and generally has received a mixed reaction with some seeing it as further support of the perceived racism in the Academy Awards and some as ‘ridiculous’ that a white actor could play a black celebrity. Meanwhile some are viewing it as an accurate representation of the character given Jackson’s ‘pale’ appearance at the time when the production is to be set and some take it (and its reaction) to be an interesting observation given the opposite direction of other casting choices – such as black actress Noma Dumezweni being cast as an adult Hermione Granger and the consideration of Idris Elba for the next James Bond.

But, if you want to know what I think – I think such squabbles are petty and obscure the real issues, the real battles that still need to be fought. 

If you’re wondering what I mean then, just picking some off the top of my head, women’s pay is still unequal to men’s, extant racism, sexism and ageism exist everywhere we look (and on a much bigger scale) and poverty has still not been ‘made history’. These are the matters and fights worthy of our attention and concern. These are the issues that need to be addressed, the problems that need to be solved – not whether a casting decision for a one-off production is acceptable.
 
Is it acceptable that 22,000 children die every DAY from poverty? Of course it isn’t. Is it acceptable that women still receive on average 20% lower pay than men doing the same job as them? Of course it isn’t. Is it acceptable that there are still some places that decide how they treat other human beings based solely on the colour of their skin, which religion they practice or their own misinformed opinions? Absolutely not. 

Racism is wrong, but, if you want to battle it, how about taking the fight to places where it is much more widespread and prevalent, much more unchecked, and often a matter of life or death. 

While time and effort is wasted debating the fiddling intricacies of possible perceived slights, the real discrimination still carries on unchecked. While we debate and argue and nitpick over minor ‘issues’, real social injustice endures. We blindly follow the unimportant and trivial when we should be concerning ourselves with the far-reaching and substantial matters that affect everyone consistently and unceasingly. 

We need to focus on the real ‘social wrongs’ – showing our objection to real ‘outrages’ and ‘prejudice’ – saying this is what we don’t accept and, what’s more, that we want something done about it.
 
Wake up, world! You’re looking in the wrong direction!