Democracy
The labels we gave each other are becoming the reason for our wars. The trademarks we used are our enemies.
Democracy is the paradise we created to feel better about the world we live in. We read, learnt and wrote about it but we never got to experience it. It lies in every minds of the world and yet racism, terrorism and violence are how we interpreted it. Those people who thought fighting fire with fire was the right way are dead and we are still burning and Democracy is our denial of reality.
The labels we gave each other are becoming the reason for our wars. The trademarks we used are our enemies. The misinterpretation of adjective is getting us killed. “The concept of color, race, gender was the sign of modernization” they told us, they said “if we embraced who we are then we can truly find our purpose” what was our purpose, to find who we are and to be manipulated because of it, was that the goal? Were we supposed to be afraid of the consequences of who we are? But they said that is democracy.
Who are they? Are you they? Did you tell your friends or family members that you could do something because of who you appear to be? Have you used your color to fit in somewhere? Did you use your language to exclude someone or to be included somewhere? Have you ever felt safe in the streets because of how you look? Have you told your kids or your younger sibling that they could do something because of their appearance or gender? If yes, then you are they. We all know that this was started by some people from long ago but we are responsible for making it stick, for passing it from generation to generation, for telling our grand kids that being white is a privilege, being a man is enough, being a Muslim is considered as being a terrorist, and telling our country is better than anyone else’s.
I know the consequences of racism because I am living in the most racist country of all time. Our racism doesn’t depend on color; but rather an idea, the idea of identity which was created by us, we thought that was democracy. School taught me that America was the most democratic state, where you can kill a person on the streets and not be charged, where you can abuse someone but get away because of the color on your skin and if that is democracy, then yes it is the denial of reality.
Let’s not blame our society. They reflected what they were taught; but we have a chance to be better people and citizens. Label people in good or bad; ask the good people their wisdom and teach the bad people their mistake. Let’s not change the world; let’s change ourselves.
Cover image credit: Getty Images/Ikon Images
