I know, I know. I’ve been staring at a list of blogging topics since
before I got back. Feria, Paris, Santiago de Compostela, Barcelona, Basque
Country, Florence, not to mention the not so pretty trip home and all the
struggles that come with being plopped back into your little town.
Right now I’m about half way
through my Summer Honors Research at my university, Sweet Briar College. I’m
doing a project on how the sexual abuse and violence that women fleeing from
gang violence, government corruption, and domestic abuse, among other things in
El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras face impedes their ability to successfully
gain refugee status in the United States. It’s a very relevant topic, though it’s
hard to get up to the minute information and it’s proving to be difficult to
get firsthand accounts online, as the information is mostly confidential. If
anything, I just want to be able to educate people about this humanitarian
crisis in our backyard.
Speaking of humanitarian crises: I was horrified by the massacre in
Orlando this past weekend, but then again I wasn’t. I was SO confused when they
said it was the deadliest mass shooting in US history. It was “only” 50 people,
right? There has to have been bigger ones? Oh, that was Paris. It reinforced
the idea that these arbitrary borders we have in our minds or on paper are
hurting us. How horrifying is it that I thought, oh only 50 people that’s
not that bad. THAT’S HORRIBLE, though I get that it’s just one of my coping
mechanisms. We say that we stand in solidarity against whatever type of
violence (unless it’s in a non-western country, but that’s a rant for another
day) but until we actually do something about the violence, it’s all just for
show. It’s not just their problem or the government’s problem it’s OUR problem.
We all breed hate on a daily basis, though it’s often in small ways rather than
big ways. Any issue in which it becomes “us against them” there is hate and
hate breeds violence. It’s simple really: you make a gay joke, a racist joke-
us vs them, you make a snide remark about someone on welfare- us vs them, you
catcall a woman- us vs them, you laugh at someone at the grocery store for not
speaking English- us vs. them. Maybe you don’t mean to, or maybe you do, but
when you marginalize people you are destroying lives.
Look at the gangs in El Salvador.
They do terrible, really horrific things and have taken control of large parts
of the country. The government calls them terrorists. Maybe if the government
wasn’t so corrupt and actually funded social programs instead of labeling gang
members and their families, funding indoctrinating Nazi-style military schools
killing “the problem”, the violence could be lessened. Build the economy, fund
schools, provide opportunities. Love not hate. Hate breeds hate.
Maybe it’s idealistic of me to think that a solution is this simple.
Actually I know it’s idealistic of me but I’m honestly so exhausted. The fact
that the most deadly shooting in my country happened and the first two thoughts
in my mind were, oh it was only 50 people and oh at least I didn’t
know anyone this time, is sick. I promise you that if you go look back far
enough in any situation, the perpetrator was marginalized by society’s idea of
something. Am I saying they aren’t responsible? HELL NO. People are 100% responsible for whatever it is
they do. Everyone is responsible for what they do, including us. This is not
about us vs them. This is everybody’s issue.
Why do we do it? Why do we separate people into categories?
Discrimination is real. I’m guilty of it, I could talk for days about how
people (who I don’t think deserve it) get welfare while I have a disgustingly
high interest rate on my (government) student loans. Maybe I don’t think that’s
fair. Explain to me Holly, what exactly is complaining about it going to do?
What is saying bad things and making grossly inaccurate blanket statements
going to do? Nothing, it’s going to do nothing except create hostility between
you and this population. Couldn’t your time be better spent doing something
about it? Looking at people like humans and asking, what can I do to help?
Love not hate. Hate breeds hate.
Again maybe it’s too simple. But honestly, with the direction this beautiful country and out amazing world are going in, what other choice do we have? Please, let me know if you come up with a better option. I love reading the news, but I shouldn’t feel sick every time I open my app
