Accept People Who They Are

Racism is something we have to be aware of, and we have to take action on it. It is harmful to those who have daily to do with racism. It will have effects on them. They feel like they've been bullied.

I have talked about this topic earlier. Racism must stop. I hate racism and it is more in the news now as there were more people with color skin that has been killed.

Demonstrations

Recently George Floyd. A black man, 46-years-old. Someone who has been killed by the police, a white police officer, this police officer needed to be protected George Floyd instead of put his knee on the neck of George Floyd. Thereafter, George Floyd died.

After the death of George Floyd, there are so many demonstrations in the USA. Are these demonstrations still about where it should be about; asking more empathy for each other's values and worth being in the world for who you are and the cultures all together?

I see a lot of videos that people break things and buildings. What is this really about? Violations are now the main purpose of those demonstrations, it seems? That is how I see it from a distance (I'm from The Netherlands).

At least, for me living in The Netherlands and being half Dutch and half Indonesian, it seems that these demonstrations are more violated than it should be in the first place - at least it looks like from distance. It should be about to get the attention for black people to protect them, to let know people are there for each other, no matter what their color is. It should be about the rights everybody in the world needs and should get. That is - in my eyes - where these demonstrations should be about.

Now, it seems that people uses the demonstration to violate and getting the attention in the wrong way. The way we should not be.

What are the demonstrations really mean? Do the demonstrations mean to stand up for those who need to be stand up for? Do they mean to violate more than the harm has already been done?

I see this issue from a distance, living in The Netherlands.

I also don't know everything and every story. And I only know that racism is one issue in the world we have all to take care of, be aware of and take action for. It is difficult as we all have different ways of thinking. I also believe we can do this together.

I believe we have to stand up for one another, even it is not your sort of people, but we must believe in one another. It has been our history, and we have to change that history to create another history with more beautiful side of it. The acceptance of each other. Even if we have different ideas. When we surround ourselves with good people, black, white, purple, green and red, we create a beautiful world. It is in our own hands.

Politics

I'm also asking myself: why don't politicians do anything about these violations? Why don't politicians do anything about racism? Who are responsible for what happened? How is the political system that need to change?

What are the problems really about? What is the police doing about it at all? Do they want to do something about it? What can we do about these problems as human beings?

I think, these are difficult questions to answer. However, we should all put our thoughts into actions. I don't know if there will be a correct answer to all of those questions I have, and if there will ever be a solution everyone is content with. Because this is so complex.

Everyone has another opinion about actions we should take and how to solve these problems. But one thing is for sure: working together to protect the humanity in everything way we could do, for every culture and for every sort of people. We all matter not matter what; with our flaws, with our best part, just the way we think and the way we do our things.

As I believe that politicians should act on behalf of their citizens, they have to give the best example they could give. And especially when it's about racism. When you have a leader who says harmful things about a special culture or group, then I believe that isn't a good leader. A leader includes all cultures in the world. A leader includes all thoughts and consider these thoughts into taking action which should be taken.

Leaders are the example of how we have to behave. Nobody can give us an order how we have to behave. But people can be an example for each other and for one other in how you want to behave.

What is the role of politicians in those cases? What can they do? I see that some leaders and some politicians don't include all sorts of races and cultures. It is a shame as all cultures and races are so beautiful. We can learn from them, and they can learn from us.

Of course, there are exceptions, but you know, it is the general things in life that leads to that some politicians maybe have difficulties with these issues; maybe they've been raised by someone who is against these people.

It has to be one person with color doing something negative and there will be one person being on social media, or spreading by mouth on mouth information, about these people and at that moment it looks like everyone of this culture is the same. And if politicians haven't been informed well about those cases, there will be misinformation and before you'll know it, you get the wrong information.

Racism is not acceptable

I truly don't know the answer on those questions I have asked, but what I know is that racism is not acceptable at all. Not for me, not for you, not for anyone else in the world. It feels our rights are not taken seriously, doesn't matter your (skin) color. At least, I don't accept it!!

For example: if my friend says to me that the black man sitting across us is fat, then I'll say something about it. I don't like it if someone will be belittled and I believe it is not appropriate to say that at all to anyone, even if it is the truth. It can be very mean to someone and that person can be hurt a lot. Maybe that man had been through something terrible. It could be that he lost his wife and because of the grief he eats a lot more to cope with that grief. We have to watch out with what we're saying and with what we're doing, just to understand other people and other cultures.

Social media

As social media arise more and more at the moment, we connect through it a lot. We are in groups on social media, and we say what we want to say and nobody say something when things have been said negatively. I understand when you don't want all bad things on your plate. I also know we have to do say something about negative behavior more often as it helps one another being more empathic.

I believe we can spread hate on social media too often. That is what happens already. People say harmful things to one another, and bullying online is what happens too much. It is much more damaging when something has been said online which can't be undone. But with this harmful way of saying ugly things online, we don't reach anything.

Before publishing your thoughts on social media, think about it and read it over and over. You will say harmful things much more than you will realize.

Being more empathic towards one another

If one another is more empathic towards each other and accept people for who they are, then the world could be more beautiful and more empathic towards each other.

We have to learn (again) doing that.

It is difficult to be more empathic towards someone else. It is possible you don't feel fine at that moment, but being empathic through your life could reach you more that being hateful.

That is what social media also does with us: we distance ourselves from the ones we love the most, and we're being more online. It can harm us as people. We go into groups that is the opposite of being empathic.

It just happens in a snap when you're not aware of your own feelings.

Agnes Laurens is a writer. She writes for the local newspaper. Agnes lives in Bunnik, The Netherlands, with her husband and three daughters. Writing is — aside from playing the violin — one of her passions since childhood. She is on Twitter and Instagram. Subscribe to my mailinglist and subscribe to my Thoughts.

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