Lately, news about racism in our country terrifies me, greatly. From the inconsiderate and insensitive songwriter, the selective and bluntly bold school principals, to the recently confused and tactless teenage girl's post. What has happened to our society? Where is our moral values from our upbringing? Has something went wrong with our society? Is cursing others something trendy nowadays?
I'm clueless.
Personally, i have NEVER expect things like these to happen, especially in our country.
The moral structure of our society is decaying fast. Where have all those beautiful religious teachings and family moral values went?
Race, is just a slight variation among us, a slight difference. Look at us, each and every one of us, how distinguish are you from the others? Look at your neighbours, look at your friends, look at the person staring at you across the road, how different are you from them? Yes, one might say, 'i speak a different language', 'i have different skin colour', 'i am of different descent', but when you take a step and look back at it, what can you see? Does different language, skin colour, of different descent really bothers you? Would you want all the people in the world to speak, look and think just like you? that would be such a dull world..
and yes, there ARE differences, some might argue. But how minute is these differences when we compared to what we have in common. We all have been blessed by God with faculties and talents, with the ability to make rational decisions, and the ability to care, love and share. We all manifest the same physical properties, have one heart which pump blood to our body, we feels pain when we are hurt, cry when sad, and laugh when we are happy. We care for our parents and friends, we feel compassionate to others, even to those we don't know, and we love, yes, we are able to love others, more than what organisms from animal kingdom can. We may talk different languages, have different skin colours, of different descents, but we all are human being, we are ONE.
Take a deep breath, and let me take you back to the time when you were small. Have you noticed that small kids, especially those toddlers that have just learn how to walk, smile happily when they saw another toddler around, regardless of what skin colours they have. They play with each other, smile, chuckle and laugh together like they have met each other before. Did they care that you are of different skin colour? Did they even bother to ask what language can you speak? and of cos, they don't bother where you are from either, that is the purity and sincerity of a child. There is goodness in each and everyone of us, it might have been hidden deep down somewhere in us, but there IS. Some might have it hidden deeper under veils of delusions and misconceptions passed on from generations, some have uncovered the veils and found it earlier, some who are more pious might have found it with the aid from the Teachings from Above. Have you find yours back yet?
Religion. From what i believe, all great religions are from God. Religions sets a standard for all of us to follow, a standard to lift us up spiritually, so that we are closer to God. All great religions teach us to love one another, to care and help for the needy souls, to search within ourselves, never to forget the Power above, to respect each other and never ever to cause disunity among ourselves. How can one say that he is a pious religious follower when he starts condemning others, be it another religion, other race, or even another human being? What different is he then compared to those who aren't religious? What benefits actually does he or she gain from this act? What would this leads to? A greater chains of events like what we have seen currently. When one starts the racism ball rolling, more and more would be offended and continued along, when will these ends then? Have you ever ask yourselves? Or, should i ask, do you even want these things to end?
Prevention is better than cure. A wise man have once said
" ....concentrate all the thoughts of your heart on love and unity. When a thought of war comes, oppose it by a stronger thought of peace. A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of love. Thoughts of war bring destruction to all harmony, well-being, restfulness and content.Thoughts of love are constructive of brotherhood, peace, friendship, and happiness." How true is this! Don't even let the thought of war and hatred set root in our hearts and minds, but in the opposite, concentrate our thoughts of heart on love and unity, then, and only then, peace is achievable.
One might argued back again, 'it's out of my control, it has already started, i'm just going along', well, if we eliminate the very thought of war and hatred from our hearts, it wouldn't even get to us, and we won't contribute to the worsening conditions of our society today. 'Concentrate all the thoughts of your heart on love and unity', let us all work together to build a better society for our future generations, than wasting our time and energy in these endless hurtful and destructive accusations. Isn't this a better use of your time and energy? All of us hope for a better place for our children, do we not?
All these are the different forms of prejudices. Prejudices based on race, ethnicity, religion, or social background. If we want a peaceful and just society, all these must be eliminated, thoroughly. It's tough, i know, but will the unifying efforts from each and everyone of us, i believe it's achievable, isn't it? After all, we are ONE. What is there to argue about? Eventually all of us will pass away, and do you want what you did in the past to keep on poisoning the future minds for generations to come? Are you willing to bear the consequences?
“The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens,” -Bahá'u'lláh
