Today I am sad. I'm really fucking sad. Yesterday, I posted this video (which everyone should watch) on my Facebook Page:
Others, well, they disagree.
It is more important now that ever that people of all creeds and colours come together, to find mutual understanding and respect. Because if we do that, we'll form a wall of humanity that will be nigh impossible to breach.
That's not saying we must agree on all things. You worship one way, they worship another, and them not at all. We can be different and still be united. In fact, I would argue we must.
Or they win.
And fuck them.
The other thing that made me really, really sad was the reference to old television shows, as if there is such a thing as absolute dichotomy in the real world. In truth, there isn't. There really isn't an us and them. There is only us. We. Humanity. It makes me so, so sad that people cannot see another's humanity. It makes me so, so sad that people think the world is so black and white, when it is only various shades of grey.
It makes me sadder to think that people think the good guys are the white ones running around killing brown folk like it used to be on television. They're not the good guys. And neither are you.
This makes me so, so sad.
They shall not grow old,
As we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them,
Nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun,
And in the morning,
We will remember them.
Now, we have so many voice clamouring to instate everything that these soldiers fought so hard against. How can you not see the irony in celebrating their sacrifice year after year, while calling for all that they fought against?
Shall their deaths be in vain after all?
Did they win the war, only to lose it after the fighting is done?
It does not matter that you are calling for the internment of Muslims instead of Jews this time. The evil is the same. And it is evil. I know that evil is seductive right now, when you are scared and lost, when your leaders spew hatred like volcanoes spewing ash. The bravest, strongest, noblest thing you can do is fight that evil. And to do that, you must first see it, and see the humanity in others; Even if their skin is different, even if their god is different, even if their language is different.
Does this all sound preposterous to you? Good! It should! Now replace the words 'white', 'male' and 'Christian' with Muslim.
What is being proposed we do with and to Muslims is no less ridiculous. It only sounds less ridiculous because of the othering, the dehumanisation of Muslims. It's awful. And it's wrong.
It's evil.
Killing, hating, shunning, hurting is not the way to fight evil. The way to fight evil is with goodness, with kindness, with generosity.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.