Community Event - Sarnia - We May Choose to Look Away...Protest 4 Palestine

…but, we can never again say we didn’t know.

There are so many reasons that we may look away from distressing or traumatic events.

1. Cognitive Dissonance: can create a conflict between what we believe and what we’re seeing. Looking away can reduce discomfort.
2. Emotional Overload:  fear, sadness, or disgust can overwhelm us. Looking away can be a coping mechanism to protect ourselves from emotional distress.
3. Fear of Consequences:  fear of being implicated in a situation, of what others will think of us or being wrong.
4. Instinctual Response: instinctual fight-or-flight response. Looking away can be a subconscious way of opting out of a stressful situation.
5. Desensitization: Repeated exposure to violence or trauma can desensitize us.  We may look away as a learned behavior to cope with repeated distressing stimuli.

Avoiding or looking away from injustice is a privilege that many do not have.  Educating ourselves and using our voices to speak up against injustice is our responsibility as human beings.  No one is free until everyone is free.

Please consider coming by to dialogue, learn from each other, learn about each other and/or participate.  Everyone is welcome.  We’re your friends, neighbours, sisters, brothers.

Saturday, 19 October 2024 @ 11 am to 12:30 pm – corner of London and Murphy Rds.