Summary

The article emphasizes the need for individuals to actively contribute to the creation of an egalitarian society by choosing a role and consistently working towards positive change, particularly in the context of addressing racism and inequality.

Abstract

The author of the article argues that despite the emotional outpour and activism against social issues like racism, these efforts often fall short due to widespread complacency and passive complicity. Highlighting the tragic case of George Floyd, the article underscores the extreme consequences of racial discrimination and the collective responsibility in allowing such injustices to occur. It calls for self-reflection on one's humanity and the role each person plays in either perpetuating or combating inequality, emphasizing that everyone benefits from a society built on love and compassion rather than hate and indifference. The article encourages readers to take on active roles in teaching kindness, respect, and equality, and to understand that a society devoid of these values leads to widespread anger and frustration.

Opinions

The author believes that many people are complacent about societal issues like racism, either ignoring them or not actively opposing them.
The article suggests that the mistreatment of black individuals, as exemplified by George Floyd's death, is a result of deep-seated racial biases and a failure to recognize the humanity in others.
It criticizes the bystanders in the George Floyd incident for their inaction, which contributed to the tragic outcome.
The author asserts that racial discrimination is a significant problem that affects how individuals are treated and that it goes beyond just race, reflecting a broader issue of human heartlessness and abuse of power.
The article quotes Chinua Achebe and Dalai Lama XIV to reinforce the importance of active engagement against injustice and the necessity of love and compassion for humanity's survival.
It posits that individuals will ultimately reap the benefits of contributing to an inclusive society and that failing to do so will result in a society filled with negativity.
The author encourages readers to be optimistic and proactive in improving the world, suggesting that everyone has a unique role to play in fostering a better society.
The article concludes by defining a "true human" as someone who treats others with respect and dignity, advocating for a world where people live without being stifled by inequality and discrimination.

You Must Play Your Role to Help Build an Egalitarian Society

Choose your own role and begin to exert consistent effort to bring about some positive changes in our societies.

Photo by The Creative Exchange on Unsplash

Tears have flown — and still flows. And many folks have over the years poured out their anger and displeasure over the issue of racism — and other social issues. Both blood and tears have equally oozed out excessively from innumerable individuals. It became a flood, yet this flood couldn’t wash away racial discrimination and inequality from our societies.

From my standpoint, these efforts failed because many individuals believe that everything is all right with humanity, thus they don’t think there’s any need to discuss how some individuals are being treated. Or to make some efforts to bring about positive change in societies.

On the other hand, there are many individuals that do not like how some white people treat black people, but they make little or no effort to condemn it. They condone evil through their actions — and inactions. They indirectly partake in treating their fellow humans like a non-human.

No one would like to go through what black people have gone through and still go through both in the US — and in some other parts of the world. And I believe you won’t enjoy the experience if I peel off this skin and hand over to you to wear for some time.

And it’s not like black people don’t like being black. By all means, they do. Personally, I love myself, my heritage — and everything about me. I’m very confident — and proud of my background. And I don’t expect to be treated in a special way, but to be treated the way every human should be treated. The same way you’d want me — and everyone else to treat you. Never in a special way, but the right way.

What happened to George Floyd bares the horrible decay of the human race. It is the hight of wickedness and a perfect example of man inhumanity to man.

If you watch the video you’d wonder why a human will put his knee on the neck of another man. What was he thinking? And what was he expecting to be the outcome of such a callous act?

But you can’t talk about the incident without mentioning his accomplices because they also played a part in the death of George Floyd.

The wicked act was collective because those other guys could’ve urged the ringleader to remove his knee from the victim’s neck. They could’ve saved his life, and none of all these would’ve happened. But they chose to do nothing. They watched him plead for his life repeatedly until he ceases to breadth.

If George Floyd was a white guy, he wouldn’t have an adult put his knee on his neck for more than 8 minutes. And if he was Asian he wouldn’t have been treated in such a dehumanizing way. Thus there’s no doubt that his race was the main reason why he was treated like a subhuman and made to beg for his life.

Breathing isn’t something you beg from your fellow human. But George Floyd begged for it severally yet they refused to let him breathe and he died as a result of the treatment he received from his fellow humans.

However, the way I see it this goes beyond race because the incident shows how irredeemably heartless some humans have become. It displays how skewed our thoughts towards each other is— and how fast we can destroy lives and properties if we misuse power.

We are all human, but what kind of human are you?

When we are comfortable and inattentive, we run the risk of committing grave injustices absentmindedly.

— Chinua Achebe

Do you allow evil to thrive when you could do something to make it stop?
Do you think it’s okay to mistreat people because you believe it doesn’t negatively affect you in any way?
Are you complicit in situations that reduce a particular group of people in society?
What kind of a teacher, parent, or guardian are you?
Do you teach kids to be kind and respectful to every human?
Or are you teaching them to only love and respect humans of exact physical appearance — and to hate and disrespect everyone else?
Or perhaps you’re among those that would always play their part in condemning evil by speaking up, by standing for the truth— and by living an exemplary life?

Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.

Dalai Lama XIV,

The truth is that you’ll reap the benefits if you play your role to build an inclusive society. But if you continue to treat your fellow human in a terrible way thinking that it’ll give you more advantages — and power in life. Then with time, it’ll dawn on you that you’ve played a part in building a society that’s full of sadness, anger, rancor, and tears.

And in this society, you’d have men — and women that may seem normal, but actually they’re very angry, frustrated — and almost always on the edge as a result of having being subjugated and stifled for a long time. This kind of society would become your reality if you deliberately throw love away — and embrace hate, inequality, and all manner of wicked acts that induce pains and tears in the lives of others.

Everyone must play a role to help make this world a better place

If we have any role at all, I think it’s the role of optimism, not blind or stupid optimism, but the kind which is meaningful, one that is rather close to that notion of the world which is not perfect, but which can be improved. In other words, we don’t just sit and hope that things will work out; we have a role to play to make that come about.

Chinua Achebe

You’re not going to wake up someday — and all of a sudden realize that racism, inequality, and all manner of social ills that have buffeted our societies have dissipated. Therefore you have a role to play to make a better world become a reality.

This is why you’re going to choose your own role in this fight against inequality and racial discrimination — and begin to exert consistent effort to bring about the change that we’ve been yearning for in our societies.

We all are humans and we’re capable of treating each other the way a human should be treated because you know when you’re being treated properly thus it’s not difficult to do likewise.

And if you know what you’d not accept as an individual, then you shouldn’t compel or expect someone else to accept it.

You must always strive to be a true human. A true human allows others to live their lives. A true human is warm-hearted — and tolerant of others.