I started writing an article about racism, but I ceased it thinking I might run into problems eventually. But the George Floyd chaos prompted me to write this once again, because I was feeling so sheepish and spiritless for not posting this. There is a clear difference in choosing not to voice due to vigilance and indifference towards injustice.
Racism is a tiny hole in a humongous ship. It starts from a frivolous remark but generates waves of hate speech. The tiny hole causes the drowning of the ship eventually, despite the hugeness of the ship. For eons there had been racist discrimination throughout the world. From the infamous white-black tension to Rwanda’s Hutu-Tutsi conflict and the 100 days of slaughter, to the holocaust by Fuhrer Hitler, to Hindu-Muslim tension in India the venom of racism has dispersed its limbs to every possible corner.
The recent incident testifies that there are still racist sprouts (sometimes grown trees) which have to be uprooted sooner than later. I never thought I would see a day like this in the US, after US had elected a president who belonged to a minority, Barack Obama: an achievement many countries can only dream of.
Reconciliation is the most abused word at some crucial times. The Oxford Dictionary definition of the word is “An end to a disagreement or conflict with somebody and the start of a good relationship again.” Sure that people end the conflict but the tiny twig of hate, nonacceptance and aversion is there in people’s hearts. It’s so hard to forgive for a racial conflict as the losses that caused to both sides would be unbearable. Thus it’s better to abstain from any conflicts regarding races, castes and religions.
Why people become blood-thirsty for their own species? I wish they could be able to see a person of any color as their kin. Because they are truly kin. Whom do we call kin? People whom we feel related to. Don’t we feel related to all the homo sapiens (about 7 billion) in the world? Why should there be reconciliation if all people remove their colored glasses and begin to look at people as one species : humans.
One skill we have to develop to put an end to racism is being open-minded. If some people who belonged to one race or caste had set fire to our village, we should be able to understand that it was not by the race itself, it was not all the people of that race, but only some people who accidentally belonged to one race. The incident should not stir us to gather and commit another arson. To obtain an open mind we should continuously educate ourselves. Educating ourselves does not only mean achieving Degrees, Masters, Majors and Minors. Reading books that contain life-changing content and other useful stuff will change the way you look at the world completely. I strongly recommend “Long Walk To Freedom” by Nelson Mandela and “I know Why The Caged Bird Sings” (Review) by Maya Angelou, if you are interested to know more about Apartheid and racial discrimination.
As countries, there should be a stringent law enforcement system to impose harsh punishments against racist crimes. The punishments should expand to even the slightest verbal comment.
As human beings, we have been bestowed with humanity to treat other living beings with it. Do justice to being a human. Then one day at the last breath, you could be proud of being one.
Reviews and Muses Hamper for Keeps 
Well-written!
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