As Americans, we need to close the divide that is swelling. We cannot deny it. Is it possible to reach a higher ground where all people are accepted for who they are? We are Americans and each of us has the right to pursue happiness, peace, and the American way. Yet there is the remnant who wants to divide us across ethnic lines. I always have held that discrimination, prejudice, and hatred of one people group against another has never truly been limited to the color of one’s skin, but is about the capacity for evil! This is not to say that the color of one’s skin does not often serve as a part of the larger picture of discrimination. The color of one’s skin indeed often serves as a catalyst or a reason to discriminate. It appears it is used as a reason because people are different. However, I have observed that it is more about prejudice against another group because they are different rather than the color of one’s skin. By the way we have to stop kidding ourselves, no person is the color “White” and no person is the color Black.” Yet, we continue to use these archaic terms to identify one another.
If you examine the wars around the world between nations, tribes, and villages, you quickly learn that it is not about skin color primarily, but rather it’s about a disdain for someone who happens to be different than you. Here are some clear examples. In Africa, the war and genocide of the Hutus and the Tutsis in Rwanda was not about skin color essentially (although one group was slightly taller than the other), but about one people group feeling superior over the other. The conflict between the groups was exacerbated first by Belgian colonialism, and second, by economics—one group was wealthier than another and held more economic power and resulted in over eight hundred thousand to one million Tutsis being killed. What about the annihilation and ethnic cleansing of the Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina, or the eight-year Iran and Iraq War where over four hundred thousand died on both sides, or the Irish and the British wars, the French and the Spaniards, the Armenians and the Turks, or the Germans practically against the world?
Whether these conflicts rose from religious conflicts or arose from economic or colonial-era issues, hatred was held for one group against the other even though their color of skin and ethnicity was similar in both groups. Note, the Germans did feel their particular breed of European descent or DNA was superior to all other races, but it was not limited to skin color. In almost every case, it was one race or ethnicity believing it was greater or superior than the other; and the battles were often laced with religious, cultural, political, and economic motives. Again, in most of the cases I named above, the color of the skin of those who fought and were viciously killed were the same as those they were fighting against. It is time to come together as Americans!
Shon, this is an excellent discussion of the reason behind the hate. As you and I often discussed many years ago, as young Captains at OTS, when people begin comparing themselves to one another, its not the likeness, but the differences that seem to be magnified. Yet, it’s the strength of our differences that have made America great. As we begin to see ourselves as God sees us (in His image–in nature, character and behavior) we will recognize that our uniqueness is to be celebrated rather than despised. Truly, we can come together as one nation again, when we take the courage to esteem others higher than ourselves and seek to exhalt each other through the uniting strength of our differences.
I agree Stanley. Fear of someone who is different is always a major component of discrimination and prejudice. Some quotes can be found saying if you let people of African descent get involved they will destroy the nation. It is history but still happens in some parts today.
I read your excerpt and that same logic holds true even when we consider the bondage of the Israelites from the Egyptians prior to the exodus; it was the fear that they would overtake the Egyptians because of how they grew in numbers that led to their bondage, it had nothing to do with the color of their skin. I believe fear is a huge proponent of divisive disease.