Shootings in Munich. Bombings in Turkey. Massacre in Baghdad. Suicide attacks in Bangladesh. Bombings in Paris. War in Syria. Rising Xenophobia, breaking down of unity and the rise of savagery, with human life going at a pittance. The situation in the world is as horrific, as it is dismal.
Humans are fighting against each other over geographical boundaries, which in reality, are nothing more than lines on a map. Jingoism is at an all-time high. This is the situation today, and with tempers soaring all over the world, with the rise in division, the only ones winning are the terrorists, as they reap the benefits of the seeds of hatred planted by extremists, and sadly being fanned by our own fears and cowardice.
But deaths related to terrorism aren’t the only deaths, no sire.
In the USA, there have been more deaths due to gun violence in the past year, than there have been deaths due to terrorist attacks since 9/11 – and this is including the deaths that happened on that grim September day.
There have been heinous cases or police brutality with cops shooting unarmed black men and then going on to say, ‘I did not know why I shot him’.
Hearing such words in a civilized word is like something from a horror story. Have we become so desensitized to this recklessness as we see it on the news every day that we have stopped caring? With hash tags such as ‘Black Lives Matter’ doing the rounds of social media, it is surprising and scary to see a lot of people take issue with it simply because it does not say ‘All Lives Matter’. Most remain blind to privilege as long as the terror and the violence does not desecrate their doorstep directly.
Women are finally speaking out against the patriarchy, and as they reveal some of the disgusting messages that they are inundated with on social media, the bile and vitriol that many of them have suffered on an almost daily basis would make the hardest of us belch – or perhaps not, after all, the people who harass them are not nameless villains, but members of society, willing to indulge in depraved acts from behind the safety of their computer screens and social media identities.
There is no single reason for the rise in violence – Indeed, perhaps the violence was always there and it is just getting relevance in the news and attention now. Or perhaps it is the rise of extremism. After all, the so called ‘War on Terror’ started a couple of decades ago was always going to breed more terrorists, ready to avenge their families and all those whom they lost with the attacks on their homeland.
Perhaps gun violence is rising along with terrorism because those far from the wars end up seeing their Muslim neighbours as representatives of those terrorists and ISIS members who are attacking and destroying cities, not realizing that this division and hatred is the agenda of terrorist organizations. Blacks are seen as freeloaders, due to the negative associations that the past history and shows have created about them, and thus racism rears its ugly head, while queers are seen as an aberration, and some crazed lone ranger wanting for retribution goes and attacks a club like Pulse, leaving blood and death in his or her wake.
Whatever the reason for the rising violence, the fact is, it terror is soaring, and it is up to us to do something about it.
An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind, and while the terrorists and hatemongers will seek to divide us and rule over a kingdom of ashes, it is only our unity and our togetherness which can save the world and usher in a brighter, better era.
And so I say; Do not give in to the hate. Victory lies only through peace and harmony.
