Not in my backyard

This phrase means usually that a person who supports a cause purportedly in public interest backs out when it affects him. This is also hypocracy. We have many examples to support the same.


Take the issue of stray dogs. This is a suburban problem but which is rare in the City. Hence we have a lot of South Mumbai animal lovers and NGO's campaigning and even filing writ petitions in the High Court(s) to protect animal rights. From an ethical stance(that all life is entitled to exist/ slippery slope arguement that will we stop at dogs or go to humans etc), they are probably correct. What fails me however, is that in SoBo(South Mumbai), there are virtually no stray dogs.Once people listen to the melody of the barks and fights, they may soon change their minds.

Another is patriotic causes like fighting corruption, standing up for the weak or joining the army/low paying Civil Service jobs. We pay lipservice but how many of us really would like a hazardous low paying army job even for prestige?

I can go on and on but the point is clear. Unless we think in the larger good atleast sometimes, nothing will happen.