A "Black Swan Event" is when the unexpected occurs, causing a huge mindshift and change in how the world works. People never imagined that Black Swans existed, until the discovery of the first Black Swan... (as per book "The Black Swan", by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, 2007, that sold over 3 million copies)

Is a perception change the next Black Swan Event? Consider that by changing perception we might change the world. Look at everyday things from different angles. Find beauty in the unexpected...
Change our thinking, change our actions, change our world!

See that all people are part of God's puzzle and have something to give. Black swans do exist. The ugly duckling was actually a swan who needed to discover himself and where he fitted and be who he was meant to be. To the last, the lost and the least, you are beautiful as you are.
May all who visit this page feel God's touch and experience His blessing...

Friday 22 March 2013

Hatred Breeds Hatred, Not Understanding and Mutual Respect

I went to a museum exhibit once with a group of preteen schoolchildren. We were there to learn about a tribal people, and their wonderful culture and traditional way of life, like song, and dance and story telling, and living off the land. Some of that was there to be seen. What I also stumbled upon, splashed against a large wall, was a discomfiting video of a tribal elder, eyes retouched to look like fire, saying something like, "We hate you white buggers. Go away. You stole our land". A parent murmured uncomfortably, why can they say they hate us, and we are not allowed to say we hate them? For many, the hate shown by these people is current, it is not the past. Another parent explained to me that the display shows truth and that the rich culture of this group is there to see, as well as the political statement. Yet I thought, surely all racism is wrong? A blanket statement about hating a group in current society due to their ethnic heritage is surely a racist remark.

I agree with the sentiment that colonial land invasions were wholly wrong and redemption is needed. But I was aghast to see hate speech against a particular group of people for all to see on video, especially the young impressionable minds watching. Will the children remember a proud people with an uplifting cultural heritage and wonderful sounding linguistics, or instead recall a more poignant, fear-filled memory of the hatred shown towards themselves, as most of them were white children? How can hate speech be allowed towards a group, as I saw today, in this modern world we live in where racism is outlawed? Surely all hate speech is wrong? I certainly thought it was. An us and them mentality, and ongoing learnt hatred, is a driving force behind genocide, a very dangerous position for all people concerned. And is it possible now to say we hate you, white people, when the country is now made up of a myriad of many types of races and it is hundreds of years since colonial invasion? I suggest it is better to say, we hate what happened to us in the past, and what we may still be experiencing, but we look forward to an inclusive future together as one nation.

If I tell you I hate you, will you embrace me and love me in return? It is very hard to do so. Would this be better if the story were told differently? What if I tell you how wrong an event is, as colonial invasion was, and if I do so with dignity, and at the same time share my rich cultural heritage with you, wouldn't you look on me and my people and say instead, "You are an inspirational group of people, with such an interesting and proud cultural heritage, and I am so sorry for what happened to you. We need to ensure such events never happen again. Let's work together to make things right, and craft a brighter future."

I am acutely aware of oft repeating cycles. How do we break cycles of hatred and replace this with mutual respect and caring instead? We certainly do not do so by continually spreading a message of hate. Hatred breeds hatred, not understanding and mutual respect.

Link to related blog articles:
The Sins of the Fathers
Culture
Learning From the Fear That's Motivation For Discrimination
Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Ignoring a Problem Does Not Solve It

On the Question of Invasion
What May You Be Accused Of?
This Is the Way It's Always Been and I Mind My Own Business
Is There Such a Thing as Reverse Racism?
The Worrying Steps in the Slippery Slope Towards Genocide
When Bystanders Look On (equating genocide and bullying)
Eureka! The Lion Will Lie Down With the Lamb
Why IS Miss South Africa 2012 White? Actually, Why Not?
God Does Not Discriminate: All People Are Equal in God's Eyes, One Body In Christ, Each Person With Unique Gifts

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