The violence in Charlottesville over the weekend does not reflect an issue for Charlottesville, for Virginia, or for America--it is a human global issue. The same thing has happened and is happening in India, South Africa, the UK, the Balkans, Afghanistan, China, Japan, Australia, Central America, Ruanda/Burundi, EVERYWHERE, wherever you look. Fanatic supremacists have plagued us since before history. (See the Book of Conquerors in ASOH, op cit) The contexts are different, but the human nature is the same.
The real question for me is "what does one do with this aspect of human nature?" Yelling, cursing, and fighting has not and will not change people's values, assumptions, beliefs and expectations about the way the world is or should be (VABEs).
What's YOUR answer? (DOn't complain unless you have a solution.)
My answer is as follows:
1. Continue legislating to prohibit hateful, violent aspects of free speech. Prosecute violators. This is a delicate issue since we all want to have the right (granted by our government) of freedom of speech and assembly. See the Book of Rights and Laws in my book, "A Song of Humanity: A Science-based Alternative to the World's Scriptures." at www.nadobimakoba.com or www.a-song-of-humanity.com.
2. Encourage and educate parents to teach their children that we are all human brothers and sisters regardless of color, gender or religion. We are all of the human race and all of our lives matter.
Parents who teach their children to hate should not be tolerated/encouraged by their cultures or their religions. This is difficult; how does one "manage" what parents teach their children by example or precept? Government standards of education could/should disallow teaching hate of other "non-believers". I have offered an attempt at this education, again, with my latest book, A Song of Humanity: A Science-based Alternative to the World's Scriptures. The Book of Genesis describes how humans came to be and the Book of Exodus describes how Homo Sapiens spread across the face of the Earth.
Parents who teach their children to hate should not be tolerated/encouraged by their cultures or their religions. This is difficult; how does one "manage" what parents teach their children by example or precept? Government standards of education could/should disallow teaching hate of other "non-believers". I have offered an attempt at this education, again, with my latest book, A Song of Humanity: A Science-based Alternative to the World's Scriptures. The Book of Genesis describes how humans came to be and the Book of Exodus describes how Homo Sapiens spread across the face of the Earth.
3. Legislate the parameters of assembly. For example, permits to assemble might / should not permit weapons -- even in open carry states. "Weapons" includes cans of concrete, mace, hand guns, batons, etc. Prosecute violators.
4. We should encourage people to travel, to get out of their counties and see the world. That said, unless one is open to other ways of doing things, that might not help -- AND it would help many to see and perhaps appreciate other ways of doing things.
5. Finally, we should encourage inter-faith, inter-political, inter-tribe, and inter-color marriages. The more we inter-marry the more we are likely to become more tolerant. Sadly, we constantly read of groups teaching against this and even of parents disowning or killing their children for dating "non-believers." This is true of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and so many more. Of course, this goes deep... and back to what is taught in the home.
JUDGE LESS, CARE MORE! Allow other people their point of view -- but not their violence or forceful imposition of hate on others. Live and Let Live. I personally condemn oppression in any form unless it is in response to others violently breaking the law. Given history, though, it seems that violent extremists will continue to pop up wherever there are humans. Perhaps legislation and prosecution are the only practical answers. And that we know from WWII requires a careful drawing of the line between what's allowed and what's not.
Okay, what's your view? What do you think we should do to address this wide-spread issue?
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