War — Who Is The Victim? Who Is The Perpetrator?
The human brain is programmed to feel empathy for the victims, and resentment for the perp!
I walk for sanity, but insanity lives in every heart of humanity. Not all of us share it with the world. However, I can stop mine, while learning from yours.
I sat watching a beautiful sunrise welcoming a new day with hope and love welcomed by sea gulls.
Suddenly, black smoke from the left slowly sweeps across the sky, covering my sunrise.
I watched as it changed the sky, my emotions, and how I viewed the day.
My mind rushed back to the pain of what was happening in our world. Pain my heart just refused to let go. This wasn’t a good sign for me and lots of ‘What Ifs,’ attacked my emotions negatively. Worst-case scenarios played with my thoughts of what could happen in the spur of the moment if the chaos our world was raging in didn’t accommodate peace. In the seconds the black clouds of smoke sweep across the sky I see the destruction of humanity as it blocks out the sunrise, denying me of hope and love. I felt the pain too.
My heart told me that humanity is way too smart to be living the way we are. In this technological arena, we are too smart to be living with so much hatred, cruelty, and war threatening our existence.
Even the earth is sad with the cruelty of humanity.
Loud voices nearby pulled my attention away. A group of people were discussing the war that was raging in our world. I gave them my attention. Jamaicans do a lot of talk, not a lot of actions.
“I want Ukraine to win the war. Russia is too wicked,” a male voice defends.
“Russia is a superpower, Ukraine doesn’t stand a chance,” someone answers.
“Russia starts the war, they should die.” Someone said.
“Russia didn’t start the war. Putin did!” Someone reminds him.
“But Hamas started the war in Gaza,” someone else said.
“No,” a voice to his right enlightens. “Israel started it when they took the land away in 1948.”
“That is true. If we continue to oppress humans they will fight back,” someone adds.
“So, who do you choose?”
“I stand with Palestine.”
“Me too, and Ukraine too.”
“So you all are for Ukraine and Palestine?” a male asked.
“Yep,” they said in unison.
“Why?” he asked.
“Because it’s the strong beating upon the weak,” a female voice to the back said.
All eyes turned to her and she went on, “Israel and Russia are considered strong and powerful nations. The opposite for their victims.”
“Damn, she is right,” a few of the men agreed.
“Yes,” more men admit.
“But Ukraine was a part of Russia,” someone informs the crowd.
“True, Ukraine got independence in December 1991.”
“She is right, Russia is a stronger and more powerful country, so it’s abusing its power.”
“Like she said, it’s the strong preying on the weak.”
“So that’s why everyone is supporting Ukraine and Palestine?”
“The human brain is programmed to feel empathy and compassion for the victims/weak country or people,” the female adds.
“And hatred and resentment for the perpetrator/stronger people and country,” another female voice informs.
Silence held all of the males and one of them, the only male in the group without his ears pierced, and the youngest said, “So, two of these countries are victims, and two are the perps.”
“The problem is, who is who?” she said eyeing them.
“Oh so now it’s a male/female thing?” one of the males said eyeing the females.
“War of this magnitude is never about the battle of the sexes,” a female voice said. “Mostly about egos and power.”
“And who do men want power for?” he went on.
“For themselves,” she reminds them. “We are only invited to their victory parties.”
One of the females eased closer to them and enlightened, “We were indoctrinated from birth to see ourselves as victims. And men as perps. Males have spent the last millennium proving to our world through wars, politics, dictatorship, hostile takeovers, and anything else they need to do to prove to our world that they will not become the victim!”
“We didn’t start any war and History will vindicate us,” one of the female states.
“And females always know who the victims are,” one of the males remarked.
They both stared at him, each reading his emotion.
One of the females said, “You sure you want us to answer that?”
“She is right,” the youngest male admits. “Two of these countries are victims and two are the perp, and we all know who is who!”
Yes, two of these countries are victims and two are perps. Our world is divided. But humanity needs to understand that most human brains and emotions of compassion and empathy will go toward those whom they believe are the victims. Resentment will follow who they believe is the perp. It’s not a personal choice for many of us when it comes to compassion and empathy. It’s an involuntary action and cannot be personally controlled.
Of these four countries, who do you think are the victims? And who are the perps?
My heart breaks, listening to this truth. All wars started from the actions, choices, and decisions of someone, spurred by something. What if we can go back to where it began and mend the outcome, sending love and peace instead of guns and bombs? What if we can make peace possible?
If your heart could speak, what would it say?
Thank you for reading this piece. Please, let your heart speak, while enjoying more from some inspiring writers on this platform whose links are below.
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