A short message for those who think that political posts don’t belong on a travel blog.
I originally posted the following on my Facebook page, but think the message bears repeating here.
***
I’m always disheartened by readers telling me I’m getting “too political” on my blog or on this page.
Guys, sorry to break it to you, but travel IS political. It involves governments, accords, commerce, and currencies; different visas, different religions, and adapting to different ways of thinking, living, and doing.
And as I’ve said many a time, travel isn’t always light and fun, it’s not only about taking a selfie in front of the Eiffel Tower or budget travel in Southeast Asia.
Travel can be raw and real and painful. It can also be rife with inequality and devastation– more for some people than others.
I get it, though– travel is an escape for some of you, a reprieve from the ills and stresses of your daily life. Pretty pictures are like an elixir and light-hearted memes a salve.
And I get that avoiding negative news and disengaging from political discourse is a form of self-care for some. I really understand and see where you’re coming from.
But some people don’t get to pick and choose which battles to fight. They are in the line of fire regardless, and through no fault of their own.
And as someone who is sensitive to this, incensed by the degree of injustice I see taking place, and privileged enough to have a platform to express my dismay (and also privileged enough to not fear persecution for sharing my thoughts), I feel compelled to speak up.
So if you find it “too political”, that’s unfortunate, because I’ll continue to use my forum to discuss and inform about issues I hold dear.
Here’s the thing: if these political topics don’t interest you or are a trigger, you can simply scroll on by and onto the next post that catches your fancy.
Because, you know what? I’ll continue to post the light-hearted stuff too– I’m of the belief that we can discuss political matters and frivolous travel topics simultaneously. We can multitask, guys. I’m confident we can invest ourselves in different causes at once.
So, in sum, the political chat is here to stay, but the beauty of the internet is that you don’t have to engage in “controversial” discourse if you don’t want to.
Still, it would be nice if you did.
