The issue of racism
It's been a while, but I'll blame vacation time and me going home to Sweden to see friends and family and work a bit.
But now I have to say something. I'm in shock. True shock. I cannot believe what happened in Dresden, Germany. It's appaling. It's horrible. It shouldn't happen. As easy as that. And the reactions..... They shock me even more. Cause there's always going to be crazy people, that manage to do crazy things. Even in a court during trial. But then to have a whole country not talk about what happened? "If this is related to racism we will condone it with strongest words possible." Something like that did Angela Merkel say about the murder on an Arab woman. IF it is related to racism. What more do they need to know? The Arab world has seen this as a German act against them. Which of course is unfair. And you'd think Germany, with the government taking the lead, would want to assure the world that this is not the case. That it was one crazy man acting in a was that is impossible for many to understand. But no. They are not doing this. Which is a shame. In my opinion, when it comes to racism, one side is often neglected.
I remember so clearly a class in high school when we analysed Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison during English. It's the story about a black man who grows up in a white neighboorhood and is nicknamed Milkman. There is one character in the novel that is clearly a racist. He is a black man that is racist toward white's. When we were doing a characterisation of this character I said that he is a racist. My teacher looked at me and then said: "Well.. I'll put that in parentheses." To me that was unbelievable. This character killed innocent white people just for the sake of killing them. How is that not racist? Racist is not hate of black's. Or Arab's. It's hatred toward one race. And it does not matter what race that is.
My point of telling this 'story' is that when the German governement does not try to take a stand away from the actions of this one man. When they don't openly say that this is not the way of Germans. The prejudice thoughts and racist thoughts towards them is just strengthened in the Arab world. Because there is as much racism going on in the direction, as against them. And if they want to fight racism in their own country, they have to acknowledge both sides. We all have to do that. We cannot fight something if we don't look at the whole picture.
Racism in any form is horrible. And something I cannot understand. How can you hate someone just because they have a different skin colour or come from a different country? But, for us to fight this. To even have a realistic fight, we all need to acknowledge that racism is not a one-way thing. It's not something that just one specific race feels against another. It's not just the hatred from white's toward black's. It's hatred between people. And peoples.
But now I have to say something. I'm in shock. True shock. I cannot believe what happened in Dresden, Germany. It's appaling. It's horrible. It shouldn't happen. As easy as that. And the reactions..... They shock me even more. Cause there's always going to be crazy people, that manage to do crazy things. Even in a court during trial. But then to have a whole country not talk about what happened? "If this is related to racism we will condone it with strongest words possible." Something like that did Angela Merkel say about the murder on an Arab woman. IF it is related to racism. What more do they need to know? The Arab world has seen this as a German act against them. Which of course is unfair. And you'd think Germany, with the government taking the lead, would want to assure the world that this is not the case. That it was one crazy man acting in a was that is impossible for many to understand. But no. They are not doing this. Which is a shame. In my opinion, when it comes to racism, one side is often neglected.
I remember so clearly a class in high school when we analysed Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison during English. It's the story about a black man who grows up in a white neighboorhood and is nicknamed Milkman. There is one character in the novel that is clearly a racist. He is a black man that is racist toward white's. When we were doing a characterisation of this character I said that he is a racist. My teacher looked at me and then said: "Well.. I'll put that in parentheses." To me that was unbelievable. This character killed innocent white people just for the sake of killing them. How is that not racist? Racist is not hate of black's. Or Arab's. It's hatred toward one race. And it does not matter what race that is.
My point of telling this 'story' is that when the German governement does not try to take a stand away from the actions of this one man. When they don't openly say that this is not the way of Germans. The prejudice thoughts and racist thoughts towards them is just strengthened in the Arab world. Because there is as much racism going on in the direction, as against them. And if they want to fight racism in their own country, they have to acknowledge both sides. We all have to do that. We cannot fight something if we don't look at the whole picture.
Racism in any form is horrible. And something I cannot understand. How can you hate someone just because they have a different skin colour or come from a different country? But, for us to fight this. To even have a realistic fight, we all need to acknowledge that racism is not a one-way thing. It's not something that just one specific race feels against another. It's not just the hatred from white's toward black's. It's hatred between people. And peoples.
