What I Feel Most Don't Understand
What people fail to understand within themselves is their own capacity to love and to hate. Most of us go around hating others for being different, while at the same time we are all one and the same. Regardless of skin color or ethnic and cultural background, everyone is basically good. What makes people hateful, spiteful and evil is how they are raised and conditioned. Tonight I watched a movie that has inspired me since I was 15 years old. It is based on the novel of the same name by Bryce Courtenay. “The Power of One” molded many of my beliefs about mankind and race relations as a whole, as well as, the inspiration and values the character learns from those that enter and leave his life, give me hope when I am feeling down or lonely or afraid of whatever happens to terrify my life at the given time. It has been 5 years since I last watched this piece of cinematic perfection and even longer since I read the novel.
Everyone has an inner self…a capacity of love or hatred that he or she can feel for anyone or anything. As I stated those things are usually conditioned in us since childhood. Most people over look the strength they have within to change these values when these values are wrong. There are those of the masses that spout about equality, justice, freedom, decency and love of all mankind. Most fail to live up to what they preach. I have seen men and woman of many ages speak out for racial equality in South Africa, yet in the next breathe turns around calling people of different shades nigger, kafir or darkie and the like. When situations like that arise, it makes me sometimes want to lose trust in most people. However, in my heart I know that there are those out there that do practice what they say they believe in. There are those out there such as myself that practice and go out and do something about what they believe in and stand up for.
What about those couples who fight together for equality and justice, such as in “The Power of One”. The main character, who is English and his Afrikaner girlfriend help teach the African Natives to read and write English, she is killed by Afrikaner Police by accident while trying to protect him. That shows true love of another person and true love of a cause that is worth fighting for. Regardless if a person is of a different race, religion, or sexual orientation…everyone should treat everyone as human beings…as equals. Even those who discriminate against others know deep down in their hearts that they are wrong, yet they are too blinded by generations of hatred that was instilled in them to let that inner voice come to the surface and say enough IS enough. My belief is that Hatred can be defined as this….Hate—the reaction one has because they fear someone or something that they do not understand. Hate is a form of cowardice that so many people are raised with. True love, understanding, compassion and the tolerance for others that are different than you seems to be hidden. Where is it? It is the diversities of this world and its people that make it a wonderful place to live. People are miserable because of what they do not have, or so they say. It is within each of us to change and better our lives. People are miserable because they hate. What purpose does hate serve to better the spirit, unity and oneness of the human race? Answer this for yourself. We are all separate individuals…yet we are also one when we all work together to better this blue orb we call home. The power of one is stronger when it is many people acting as one. It is almost non-existent when we work alone. Yes we can accomplish things alone but the impact isn’t as great.
No one can truly understand love, peace or tolerance until they truly love themselves, are tolerant of themselves and at peace within themselves. Right now in our own country, The United States of America, there are those telling homosexual couples that they do not have the right to love one another. Even though they do not choose their lifestyles, “many homosexuals that I know said if they could choose…they would be heterosexual” they love a person of the same gender and they are told that their same sex spouse can not share the same rights as any other couple. Who are we as people to judge a persons love? Whether it is sexual orientation, race or religion it all boils down to love. We have men and women that are in political and religious offices telling us whether or not we have the right to love someone. That is morally and ethnically not right. That is not the Christian way or the way of any other religion. It is in the power of no person to dictate to another person whom they should love or hate. That is something that is entirely the choice of the person in question. Love, peace and tolerance have no boundaries and are always the right choice. Hate is never the answer. Love knows no race, gender or ethnic background. Love is within all of us. In 7 different chat rooms I posted the following “Thought For The Day--MANY PEOPLE ACTING AS ONE IS STRONGER THAN A PERSON ACTING ALONE FOR WHAT IS RIGHT THAT IS THE TRUE POWER OF ONE...No one can truly understand love, peace & tolerance until they truly love themselves, are tolerant of themselves.” All negative reactions from most or none at all. Simply because too many people are trained to hate no matter what instead of looking within their self for the love inside. It is a sad state of affairs. Even though it seems that this is the majority we can never give up hope. Written by Jade