Proclaiming My Rights

Why is it important to assert my rights? The answer is simple - because I exist!

The biggest desire of my heart is to be treated equally and when that does not happen, to be able to assert my rights. I’m not speaking of when and if faced with a civil rights situation. I am talking about everyday life. From being wanted to be heard to having my problems resolved, everything is related to me being a human being with a singular personality.

As I grow older, I realise that proclaiming my rights or asking people to treat me as an individual with strong opinions gets harder day by day. The harder it gets, the louder my voice will become. I find that I cannot sit by and let things go; which is why I feel the need to assert my rights every time I breathe. That is how important my freedom and the ideal of being treated equally are to me.

A lot of people do not understand this and so they call me a mischief maker to discredit me. We live in a world where even treating others equally or wanting to be treated with respect can spell trouble. Since when have we confused freedom and independence with trouble making? I’d say forever. Even Galileo was persecuted for the same reason.

When I step into the adventure of every day, I realise that I will have to live through another day, which is a struggle for equality. What makes it alright is that I still have a voice and I still have access to several platforms where I can be heard and seen. I plan to continue to struggle because when I fall asleep at night, I sleep peacefully knowing full well that I stood up for my rights and for what is just. I’d advise all of you to know that being treated with respect and equality is not a right; it is a common curtsey that should come towards you by default. I believe this to be true because God created all of us in his image and by just that fact alone, we are all equal and have the right to be ourselves.

Believe me, it’s a very good thing to stand up for you and I endorse this behaviour wholeheartedly!