Strength in Numbers

I've read several articles recently reporting government cutbacks severely impacting on disabled people and their carers. Only last week the government announced the closure of several Remploy factories which provide much needed employment and support for 1700 disabled adults in Britain. Then yesterday I learned that our local Alzheimers society is having to make four of its employees redundant due to reduced funding. Again this effects some of the most vunerable people in our society and their carers many of whom desperately need respite. The more I've thought about how Government cutbacks are affecting our society the more I have come to the conclusion that, in some ways the Government is doing us a favour. That may sound contraversial but I think we have relied on the Government too long to provide us with our education, our health care and our welfare benefits. It's patently obvious that we can't continue to rely on them. Our education system is failing many children, there is a post code lottery on our health care and people who really need financial help aren't getting it. This morning I was reading a short motivational article on one of my favourite websites called "The Happiness Instutute" . It advises us to: " Find a community—whether virtual or real—of like-minded people. The energy of one person is amazing, but the energy of two or more is awesome. The chance to learn from new perspectives and different experiences will enrich your life at every level, and spark new ideas—and often new opportunities—as well" I was reminded just how much people can achieve when they work together for a common cause.Whilst home educating my son we have studied the lives of Human Rights activists such as Ghandi,Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King and William Wilberforce. The problems they were facing seemed insurmountable at the time but through their incredible personal sacrifices and persistance they achieved their ultimate goals. Many of the challenges we face from day to day are nowhere near as complex as world issues but they're just as real to us. It's amazing how much we can achieve by working together. As the mother of an Autistic child I have derived immense support from a local NAS support group and a home education forum called H.E.Special U.K for children with special needs. The knowledge of the parents is phenomal and their support is unwavering. The introduction of the internet has brought like minded people together who would previously never have met. We can now petition the government online, email our local MP at the touch of a button and circulate new developments and articles in a jiffy. When you can gather strength of feeling you feel empowered and in control and more able to fight for your beliefs! The government are unwittingly re-creating a sense of community, forcing people to care for and help one another, as they see people suffering. I don't know whether you remember the sitcom "Power to the People" but we are having to regain control and it's a good feeling. When people are angry they are also motivated and determined and I'm sure a great deal of good will be achieved if we continue to work together for a common purpose.