We live in a world where oppression and discrimination still exists. People around the globe find themselves being treated unfairly for various reasons, whether it be the colour of their skin, their religion, their culture, their sexual orientation, their nationality etc.
Acts of oppression and discrimination often create an 'us and them' mentality, which breeds further hatred and prejudice. We then find ourselves in a vicious cycle of
learned behaviour towards certain communities and the hatred continues. It's important that the cycle of hatred is broken, through education of tolerance and acceptance.
But there is also another issue that needs to be tackled in the fight against racism and discrimination. Sometimes people within discriminated communities believe that the oppression 'their' people have to endure is greater than what others have had to endure. This thought process is dangerous, it belittles what others have gone through. and produces anger and resentment. This too can cause a vicious cycle of hatred, they cannot see past the injustices they have had to deal with and dismiss what others have gone through. In some ways this is even more damaging to the fight against racism and discrimination, as it can cause the victim of intolerance to become a perpetrator of discrimination.
It is important that those who have faced oppression in any form band together rather than trivialise what someone else has gone through if we are to have any hope of ending racism and discrimination.
B~
