A Big Circle of Friends. Erica Bentel

extreme hatred and try to exterminate people from other groups or different religions. From the Spanish Inquisition to Nazi Germany. From former Yugoslavia to Cambodia.

      She inserts a B&W photograph, titled Field of human skulls. Cambodian Killing Fields. 1975-1979.

      and continues writing:

      If we are to learn anything from history it is this: It is up to us. If we do not stand up against the hatred, against these bullies, it means we are going along with it. It means that we are not all that good, or all that innocent, after all.

      She searches for the quote she’s been saving, finds it and inserts it:

      “ALL THAT IS NEEDED FOR THE FORCES OF EVIL TO SUCCEED IS FOR ENOUGH GOOD PEOPLE TO REMAIN SILENT.”

      Sasha types up her final paragraph.

      IN CONCLUSION:

      People look back at history now and think: how did it ever happen? It happened because most of the good people stayed uninvolved until it was too late.

       THE NEXT NIGHT. 19:30

      Sasha is stretched across the 2-seater, her parents are sitting on the couch. They’re watching TV coverage of Sudanese refugees fleeing for their lives.

      Her mother takes in a deep breath.

      “Those poor people. Humans can be so smart, but in some ways we never learn.”

      “What’s it help to just keep saying that? I’m going to my room.”

      Sasha sits at her computer for twenty minutes, randomly checking out Facebook. She looks up at her pin-board. And stops.

       Let me give it a go.

      She starts typing.

      She wants to talk to all the good people in the world. She wants to say:

      DO SOMETHING! WE CAN STOP THIS!!!

      So she writes an email. One page long.

      And she sends it to her small circle of friends.

       And that’s how this whole big thing gets started. As simple as that. On a Tuesday evening at 8.20pm. In a bedroom, in a house, in a suburb in Australia.

       THE SAME NIGHT. TWO HOURS LATER

      When she sees the message, Kate wonders what Sasha has forgotten to tell her. They’d been together all afternoon. She reads:

      Hey Kate

      Remember our discussion on New Year’s Eve?

      Thought I’d try something.

      S. xox

      She opens the attachment.

      It seems so simple and yet so right. Deciding it’s too late to call, she sends her a quick reply:

      Luv it! Let’s get this thing rolling.

      Kate forwards Sasha’s message to four friends. Then she makes herself a tea, grabs a handful of roasted almonds, which she eats on her way to her study, and gets going on her English Lit. project.

      Emma just happens to be the first of Kate’s four friends to open her email.

      — How cool.

      Her brother looks up.

      What?

      — Check this out.

      He comes and leans over her shoulder dropping some sauce out of his burger onto her neck.

      — Gross! Get outa here!

      She wipes the sauce off. Reads it again.

      She adds her name with conviction then thinks of four good friends and forwards it. She thinks about it a bit more and sends it to another three.

       THE NEXT MORNING. SASHA’S HOUSE

      Sasha picks up her school bag and hauls it onto her back.

      “Sasha, I don’t know how you carry that thing.”

      “Oh please Mum. It’s only six more months.”

      “I can’t believe you’re nearly finished.”

      “Dad, can you grab my cello for me? It’s so heavy.”

      “Couldn’t you have learned the flute?”

      “Very funny. Actually that wasn’t bad … for an accountant.”

      “Watch it.”

      “Come on you two comedians. You’re going to be late.”

      “Oh Mum, I sent you an email. Check it out.”

       LATER THAT DAY. SCHOOL COURTYARD

      Sasha and her circle of friends speak about the email idea at lunchtime.

      This between:

      Deciding whose house to study at over the weekend.

       Checking they’re all still going to the same place for Leavers. Comparing their parents’ warnings and threats over the matter and complaining about their unreasonable workload for the following week.

      By the time Amy gets home after school, she’s heard all about Sasha’s email, and immediately heads off to her room to read it.

      Hi Ames

      Cos you’re 1 of my circle of 4 good friends, I’m sending you this.

      Plz keep it going.

      cu2morrow :)

       ATTACH: A Big Circle of Friends

      Amy opens the attachment.

      It’s time for all the

      GOOD PEOPLE of the WORLD

      To STAND UP for their VALUES!

      

       IN JOINING THIS CIRCLE:

       I PROMISE to See Every Person as an Individual and to Never Judge Any Single Person According to their Colour, Race, Nationality or Religion.

       I PROMISE TO SPEAK OUT Against Hatred, Injustice & Violence.

       I WILL NOT REMAIN SILENT When People Are Attacked or Victimised Because of their Religion, Race, Gender, Nationality, Colour or Beliefs.

       I WILL NOT TOLERATE Intolerance.

       SIGNED:

      (ADD YOUR NAME)

       Now that you’ve made a promise to do something, forward this email to 4 GOOD PEOPLE you know.

       The message starts spreading incredibly fast.

      4 + (4 x 4) + (16 x 4) + (64 x 4) + (256 x 4) + (1024 x 4) …

       Within two weeks, 16,384 have joined the Big Circle of Friends.

       SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA. BEGINNING OF MARCH

      Gary Michaels, journalist with a major national Australian newspaper, The Daily, is one of the first 1000 people to receive the email.

      He was meant to have met his girlfriend and a group of her friends for pizza and a movie earlier but had been called out to cover another murder.

      Now back home, he opens the email, simply wondering whether he still has a girlfriend. As he starts reading he feels a quick rush of relief.

      hi

      missed u 2nite.

      thought u should