I really liked this reading, especially because throughout my life I have heard many people talk about how they can’t make a change on a small scale. In particular, I discussed this idea in my ethics class and we spend a great deal of time on it. For example, so many people do not donate money to charity because they do not think their money will do anything or will make a difference. But this reading describes how small efforts and small actions can really make a change. For instance, a mosquito net costs about $2. Therefore, say I only have $20. That is 10 mosquito nets. I am making a huge difference! Or think about the current coronavirus pandemic. Donating $20 could probably supply multiple masks and gloves. In sum, this quote from the reading really encapsulated how mighty small efforts can be: “We don’t have to engage in heroic actions to participate in the progress of change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world” (71).

After this reading, I started to think about this quote more and more, especially in terms of policy. For example, what if (locally and nationally) policy is being drafted or passed that many people are against. I thought about this example especially in terms of my research project because currently, the US has drafted a peace plan for Israel and Palestine that if enacted, will just be very bad for the region and will exacerbate strife and conflict. But many of us probably think that we can’t do anything about this; 1 of us versus millions of other citizens and leaders. But in fact, if just one person emails their local representative about an issue, that issue immediately gets tallied on their itinerary. If more than one person contacts their representative, then representatives actually have to discuss and consider this issue; the more people that contact, the more likely representatives are to pose legislation, address issues, and pass bills. Therefore, even one person contacting makes a difference.

We can see the impact and importance of this in all walks of life; the reading described giving someone a ride home and even Rosa Parks refusing to move. But we can also see how important this can be for our government and legislation. For example, if I email my representative about my concerns about this peace plan, they will have to consider if. But if 5-10 people contact their representatives, whether they are the same or different, this issue can be addressed a lot easier than we may think (this applies for many different issues and legislation, I just used my research project as one example).