It begins when we refuse to listen to each other, when we no longer make efforts to understand each other. We takes sides, separate into groups, then tribes. If we allow our grievances to simply fester and grow we are soon lobbing deadly rockets at one another either figuratively or literally. We become living representatives of the story of Cain and Abel. Anger and jealousies overcome the rational and kind aspects of our human natures. We turn away from any possibility of seeing each other as individuals and adopt a gang mentality. It becomes us against them. The animal instincts to survive, to carry out our grievances take over our ability to think about the damage we are doing. Only after the worst of our natures wreak destruction and death over innocents do we humans end our warlike behavior and attempt to restore peace and harmony in our world. Sometimes that takes a life time or hundreds of years.
The anger that is seething in our midst has been in full view of late. On a personal level we witness family and friendships breaking apart over differences in beliefs. Worldwide hatreds are fueling wars. In my own nation I have watched our democratic institutions become paralyzed with partisan battles that are often based on propagandized lies. We were not even able to pause long enough to handle a pandemic with compassion and sacrifice for the needs of the sick and dying. Instead we broke into camps and relied on fear and innuendo to guide us through the difficult times. Our once cooperative spirits were squelched by troublemakers who made our medical communities the enemy. False prophets turned religion into a political football. Dishonest journalists spread lies and propaganda. We ultimately endured and then overcame the worst of the virus, but the battle lines that we drew during our ordeal became more pronounced than ever. Our thinking became rigid, angry and unwilling to consider working together for a common good.
We humans are in trouble right now. We can’t simply ignore what is happening nor can we continue to act as though we are nameless members of tribal hordes intent on destroying our real or imagined enemies. We are at a stage of seeing peacemakers as weak and those who arouse the rabble to anger as great leaders. To use a very tired phrase, the inmates are running the asylum. Strongmen across the globe are inciting riots and war. They are tearing institutions apart and stoking fear and anger. They masquerade as people who care when the reality is that they only seek power for themselves.
Here in the United States of America we are at a crossroad. We are only inches away from a collapse of our ability to govern in a way that honors each person’s unalienable rights. We have lost the ability to distinguish between those who truly love this country and its people and those who bow to tyrants whose only goal is to seize power and titles for themselves. We are a nation of many races, ethnicities, religious beliefs, sexual orientations, personalities. There should be room for all of us. We should be able to live our lives without fear that one or another group will impede our freedoms. Our government should not be a religious enforcer. We have seen what happens when religious norms for a single group become the rules for all. We should not have to look or act a certain way nor should we hide truths about the history of humankind and our own missteps as a nation. When we live in the dark of ignorance we only repeat the mistakes of the past.
If we blindly follow one person, one group or use one media outlet to gather information we are doomed to living inside a circular argument that never sets us free. We must be willing to study different philosophies and ideas. Learning about them does not mean that we must adhere to them. It is instead a way of enlightenment that allows us to cull through the chaff that often hides both the problems and their solutions. It’s not only possible but probable that even a very good and generous leader will have greatness and mistaken flaws at one and the same time. There is no such thing as a perfect human being, but some among us are more honorable than others.
Might does not always make right. Doing things the way they have always been done is not always the correct pathway. If we humans are to evolve and progress even in tiny increments we must be open to an alliance not with a single group but with the greatest ideas and ideals of human imagination. At the same time we must always bear in mind that some of the things that we fight so hard to dismiss are of very little consequence. Who someone chooses to love should not be of any concern to us. Love is love and we should celebrate it. How a person decides to dress or grow their hair does not hurt anyone. Each woman knows how many children she is able and willing to have.
We all spill the same blood. Our bodies mostly work the same way. All physical characteristics are superficial. We grow up in our respective homes being taught lessons in how to live. We may be eating different foods, speaking different languages or believing different things. No one way should be deemed better than others. The rich man is not more important than the man who tends his lawn. The child born to a king is no more wonderful than the one who arrives on this earth in poverty. It’s well past time for us to learn from history that categorizing and judging the worth of individuals based on human made criteria is wrong. It’s well past time for learning how to live in harmony, respect and understanding. If we continue down the dangerous path of unquestioned allegiance to any person or belief we will continue to fight among ourselves and people will needlessly suffer. Let’s step out of tribal echo chambers before we mindlessly destroy the good things we have built together. Our grievances begin so innocently but too often they end with war. Let’s stop that before it is too late.
All It Takes Is A Little Love 