Category: Social Commentary (Page 1 of 3)

People often debate whether systems or statuses quo that are evil and unjust can be overthrown by peaceful means – or whether violence is sometimes the only course of action to achieve that goal. As a writer, teacher, and peaceful law-abiding human being, I am inclined to vote for the former option.

Of course I do not live under a political or economic system that is totalitarian or oppressive or one whose laws and apparatus are geared toward forceful subjugation of others. I did not live under slavery or the Holocaust or during all the various countless reigns of terror perpetrated throughout history by one group over another – whether the criterion was race or religion or sect or tribe or class or caste or nationality.

Perhaps that is why I can eagerly select peaceful means over violent ones. I am also mindful that so many innocents get swept under, and away, when violence becomes the medium to bring about change.  And I am also mindful of the historical record that violent revolution often in turn creates a precedent that once unleashed can spiral out of control and cause an unending domino effect that undermines even lawful processes. The excesses of the French and Cuban revolutions are two relatively “recent” examples of this ( “recent in the context of human history).

For these and other reasons, I hold dearly the examples of two giants whose main modus operandi to dismantle oppression and institutionalized injustice was not violence but peaceful protest. Mohandas K. Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King were in no way cowards. It requires bravery, stamina, determination, and resilience to put one’s life on the line, armed with nothing but words and a message, awakening people to a cause that is just and noble.

Their words and their sense of equity for all, not just for those whose rights they so vigorously championed, will always be a beacon of hope and an inspiration to those, who like me, prefer non-violent change to guns, bombs, and warfare – at least as a first line of attack on evil, corrupt, and unjust systems.

Most of us emote when we hear that someone has taken his or her own life, but when a celebrity takes his, the news media bombards us with the inevitable coverage. The soul-searching, the analysis, and the incredulity continue for a while… then abates until another icon repeats the tragedy.

Perhaps, one reason that the suicide of a celebrity is more amazing to so many is that many still cling to the notion that money and fame can solve all of the needs of a mortal to live a blessed and fulfilled life. Truth be told, money and status do indeed add to the pleasures of life – but they do not guarantee the full level of equilibrium that a human being needs to be satisfied.

My dear readers, I often write pieces on group associations and living in a diverse world. I try to point out both the positive aspects of groups and their limitations, in the context of the world at large.

While I too enjoy camaraderie with various groups with which I might share some commonalities, I am mindful not to believe that life is all about “my group vs. your group,” or that everyone in “my group or groups” will necessarily hold all the ideals and positive characteristics that will make the world a better place.

Anyone who has been a victim of racism has endured one of the ugliest and most despicable of all human experiences. To be hated, disliked, or discriminated against purely because of one’s skin color, and not one’s character,  leaves one demoralized – even if only temporarily. One is in good standing to feel resentment at the perpetrator of racial bigotry. And it gets worse if that perpetrator wields some power or authority and can make decisions that affects one’s feeling of well-being or security, or deprives one of an opportunity not denied others of a different race.

One must be careful, though, as difficult and arduous as it might be, given the magnitude of the racism, to not react by assuming that ALL members of the bigot’s race feel identically as he or she does. And one must not consequently, in turn, harbor hate and prejudice against the racist’s own race because of his or her actions.

In doing so, one falls victim to the same generalizations, the same ugliness, and the same mentality that characterize those who discriminate against others or harm or deny them legal or other  rights because of their race.

To be sure, there have been times in human history, and it even occurs today in some parts of the world, where racism was or is institutionalized. When (as in the days of “recent” world history) during slavery or the Holocaust or apartheid, entire groups were victimized by large racial/ethnic majorities, it was understandable for victims to react with fear or anger against those races whose members hurt them.

Throughout history,  it has been an ugly characteristic of human nature to feel prejudice against others for their race or ethnicity, religion or creed, class or caste, or some other similar distinction. And when the discrimination is part and fabric of everyday life, of the legal apparatus, or of custom, such institutionalization seems to  leave little or no alternative for victims but to react with hate at those  groups whose own hatred deprive others of their own rightful place.

Barring such a status quo, for those who live in places where prejudice in not universal or legalized or institutionalized, it is essential not to harbor hate against all members of any race because of the acts of specific individuals. And even in those circumstances, one must note that even large majorities do not speak on behalf of ALL within their group.

If one were to do hate others or to discriminate against them based entirely on their race,  one would be applying the same unsound, unjust, erroneous, irrational and ugly rationale applied by the one whose bigotry has caused one angst or pain.

Throughout the annals of human history, man has rebelled against the status quo in one form or the other. Sometimes, there are sweeping revolutions which wash away regimes, governments, aristocracies, monarchies, and despots. At other times, the upheaval is social, challenging thousands of years of tradition, moral and religious values, and other customs or behavior.

Unfortunately, we seem to never learn. Change is inevitable, and some change is necessary to repeal injustices and correct wrongs – but do we need to throw out the baby with the bath water? Can we not be meticulous and recognize that life is not always black and white, and that a revolution need not destroy everything in its path when elements exist that have proven functional and optimal through the ages?

One reason so many people go broke so fast is the avalanche of other people assailing them, all telling them they’ve got the formula to kick their lives up a notch.

I mean, every time you step out, somebody is touting some product or service that’ll make your life so much brighter, lift your spirits, and turn around your prospects for a cheerier future. You’ve got the hairdresser telling you that you need that special haircut to set you right, the butcher offering you a prime cut that will leave you speechless at dinner time, the tailor, fashion designer, and retailer who have just about the right fit to turn heads as you walk down the street custom-fit in new threads.

Recently in the news here in the USA, there has been a spate of incidents involving law enforcement and members of the public – in physical confrontation resulting in bodily harm and sometimes even death of either a citizen, or a police officer, or both.

This is a sensitive issue and there’s a lot of rhetoric emanating from both sides of the issue. It is tragic when a member of the public is brutalized by someone wearing a badge whose job it is to protect the public from the very same criminality. It is also fearful and heartbreaking when a criminal attacks and hurts or kills a member of law enforcement who is out there protecting us from violations of our person or property.

Those of us who respect the law and respect the constitutional and human rights of citizens to be safe from thugs, in uniform or out of uniform, or on either side of the law, are the true victims. We end up feeling a loss of security – from both the violent criminals among us who use race and other devious means to whip up a frenzy if it can help exonerate their evil , and from those wearing a badge who use it as a license to express their own personal deficiencies, frustrations, or bigotries.

Perhaps, we all need to take a step back and recognize that life is not always black and white, and that there are both good and bad guys in uniform, and out of uniform. We must examine each case thoroughly before jumping to the defense of either cop or alleged victim.

America has a documented history of thousands of cases of brutality, planted evidence, assault, murder, and other crimes against citizens by those whose job is to prevent the same. And those citizens have sometimes included minorities, women, and children. The record, though, includes the violation of the rights of individuals regardless of race – many white Americans also have been traumatized by thugs in uniform.

But we also have a longer and more horrific record of murder assault, rape, theft, and brutality against citizens and law enforcement by criminals of all pigmentations and group classifications. In the final analysis, when the smoke clears and the dust settles, we must recognize that evil and ugliness exist on both sides.

We are better served by working harder to weed out criminals among us and by working harder to vet those who enter law enforcement. For the former, we must not exonerate evildoers among us who use group association conveniently when the chips are down but who deprive us of our own rights to safety – regardless of whether we belong to the same group or not.

For the latter, we must recognize that cops are human too, and often bring baggage from their personal lives to their job. Therein lies the greatest danger, for when a criminal mentality is clothed in the attire of a law enforcer, all hell can break loose and we are doubly threatened as law-abiding citizens.

It is imperative, if we are to move forward together that we weed out the bad guys from both camps and work together to have cops whom we respect and who respect us. And we must not allow those among us to hide behind the cloak of race or religion or ethnicity when they have violated our individual and group rights to safety and security, and who cry injustice if there is none.

It’s not always a case of them vs. us. The record clearly indicates that each case needs to be evaluated separately.

It’s a natural phenomenon to reminisce about the past – on so many different levels. Take, for example, the case of the immigrant, or even the case of someone who moves from one part of the country to another.

There’s often a feeling of nostalgia for the past, for what was left behind. It’s a natural feeling – and modest doses of yesteryear can be beneficial. However, when one immerses oneself entirely in events and places that one has left behind, there’s always the danger of being unable to move ahead properly.