#16 Will You Be a Part of This Problem, Or Its Solution?!

What group or people do we de-humanize?  Democrats? Republicans? Muslims? Black people? White people? The list goes on, why do we objectify people? 

During WW2 the Germans strategically under social strategy got the general population to dehumanize many groups of people. People with brown hair, the elderly, the handicapped and mainly the Jews.  That society thought they were better and the slide started slowly.  First it was shunning them, then it was abusing them, then it was plundering and finally it was all out violence and genocide. 

What are parallels in our society today? What prejudices do we hold against groups of people? It's not necessarily about loving a certain group of people to death, but respecting all persons.  No matter where they are from, what color their skin is or what religion they practice.  If they are a human being then you will find similarities!

Don't pass judgement when you see people.  Realize that from your misunderstandings, you judge.  You don't know what they have been through, what their story is or how they got to the place they are at.  You don't know what another persons life has been like, you do not have the right to judge their persons.  Obviously, stay safe, if they seem to have bad intentions then simply stay away, but no need to pass eternal judgements on people. 

Sometimes we can be so cruel and we don't even know it.  What do we say or do because we think that 'they' are different than us?  We are ignorant of the things we haven't been through. Realize that all you are seeing is a specific side of that person.

From Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, talks about how terrible things happen with innocent people!  Society passes harsh treatments on desperate but kind people.  We don't know their story, we don't know them.

We should be part of the solution, not the problem. 

Other Resources:
Greg Denning Trips!
Leaving Smallville- How to Think and Live Bigger
Your Ignorance is Astounding