There is so much hate in America today. I wonder how we got here or was there always this hate just lying beneath the surface all along? You can say that it is new, but, when you look at World history you begin to think maybe not. There had to have been a lot of hate in Germany to murder 6 million Jews. Since then we have had other genocides like the Bosnian Genocide and the death of over 100,000 people and the Rwandan Genocide that killed some 800,000 people. Americans like to think of themselves above such things but if you really look at our own history you know we are capable of becoming the same. Just look at what we did to the American Indian. There are so many incidents of genocide of the American Indians; to study them all would probably take years. Instead of studying it we bury it, we don’t want it taught in our schools. On a smaller scale we have situations like Rosewood in Florida where they destroyed an entire Black Community and where up to 150 Black members of the community may have been killed. Black Wall Street where as many of 300 lives may have been taken. Neither one of these incidents were mentioned when I was in school. We will never let Germany forget what they have done and they shouldn’t forget. We should never forget what we have done in this country either. It should be studied and as a nation recognized and mourned.
In Wikipedia I looked up Genocide and in the article they said that there were eight stages:
1. People are divided into "us and them".
2. When combined with hatred, symbols may be forced upon unwilling members of pariah groups.
3. One group denies the humanity of the other group. Members of it are equated with animals, vermin, insects, or diseases.
4. Genocide is always organized... Special army units or militias are often trained and armed.
5. Hate groups broadcast polarizing propaganda.
6. Victims are identified and separated out because of their ethnic or religious identity.
7. It is 'extermination' to the killers because they do not believe their victims to be fully human.
8. The perpetrators... deny that they committed any crimes.
When I look at the list above I get a little scared. How many things on that list are happening? We are divided now more than any time that I can remember and I am not a young man. We have those flag waving Trump supporters and their hate speech that is meant to intimidate. They have called Democrats the enemy of the people and have compared them to Satan. We have called all Mexican criminals and rapists. We have people that are forming or have already formed militias to intimidate and suppress. We have conservative broadcasting that is just sending out propaganda. I see the first 5 on the list happening to some degree right here at home. If this does not scare you it should. Our Democracy was attacked by domestic terrorist. The key word there is domestic. They were sent by the outgoing President of the I United States. What would have happened if they succeeded? Do you ever think about that because I do?
Do not tell me that it couldn’t happen here because we are a Christian nation that follows Jesus when it already has. The United States is responsible for the deaths of millions American Indians. Those were Christians that decimated the Indians. It was also Christians in Germany that demonized and killed 6 million Jews. The church mostly just turned their backs on the whole thing and in a lot of cases pretended that it wasn’t happening. In the United States the Church in many cases believed that the Indians were just heathens and savages. Were there any arrested from the attack and murders in Rosewood and with Black Wall Street? I am pretty sure you already know the answers to that. I am afraid for our future and the lawlessness that is being unleashed in this nation. We need accountability and it must start from the top. The Department of Justice and the courts should not turn their back like the courts did in Germany. The courts did nothing to stop Hitler like our DOJ is doing nothing to stop the downfall of our democracy,
My last thought. The first 4 books of the Bible, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John may be 4 of the most liberal books ever written. If people really had followed the words of Jesus all the atrocities that happened in the name of God would never have happened. If you really think about it there should be no such thing as a Conservative Christian.
I am so worried right now, about this, the hate, the gaslighting, ignoring what is going on everyday, right in front of us. Most of my friends don't talk about it, or seem to even care about it. Thankfully, my husband is just as worried as I am or I would feel a little crazy.
ReplyDeleteand on Religion ... think of all the people who perished in the name of the God, or heads cut off or stoned to death in the name of Allah, inquisitions, tribunals, reformations, burning at the stake, hangings ... just what I can quickly think of.