Dear Editor,
It was a British poet who coined the phrase “Hope springs eternal.” With this in mind like Diogenes I searched the pages of the BMJ searching for elusive Hope. I found some snippets: the joy in general practice, the silver lining of geriatric care in the community and getting the band back together again – go to work and support the team and ditch remote working. Diogenes famous “search for an honest man” was his way of exposing the hypocrisy and sham of polite societal conventions. By holding a literal light up to people’s faces in broad daylight, he forced them to recognize their participation in practices that prevented them from living truthfully. Diogenes is still highly regarded in the present day for his commitment to truth and living according to his beliefs.
We all need a candle in our faces! But what does that mean for me? Crowd sourcing is effective and there is strength in numbers and if we all reduce waste – turn off unnecessary appliances and lights, reduce travel, recycle coffee cups, pick up litter, and call out government to do the same we will win.
Many attribute New York’s crime reduction to specific “get-tough” policies carried out by former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani’s administration. The most prominent of his policy changes was the aggressive policing of lower-level crimes, a policy which has been dubbed the “broken windows” approach to law enforcement. Sweating the small stuff will force the levers of power into action to follow suit. This is our hope and The BMJ and media should promote these initiatives instead of crying into their cornflakes.
Hope means doing what you can.