Humanity: A Jekyll & Hyde Affair

Humanity has a certain dualism to it which is both beautiful and appalling. Its beauty comes from the fact that if we strip ourselves down to our bones, we are all equal. We all need even the simplest of things, such as water, to survive and we all long for a happy, fulfilling life. Yet, with so many common characteristics and needs, we vary wildly from appearance, to personality, to beliefs. These differences, in turn, have brought out some of the best and worst qualities in us humans. People tend to be accepting of others, or they believe they must change or punish those who are different than them. The latter often forgets the universal qualities that we share and focuses heavily on difference which leads to conflict and hate. A community may be defined as a group of people living in a particular area or a group of people having the same beliefs, interests or even race. The idea of a community can be positive in the sense that people coming from completely different backgrounds can unite due to both parties enjoying scrapbooking, or both parties being Buddhist; however, this idea of a community creates a paradox. Some people may feel that their community is superior to others, or want power, and this is when oppression and wars erupt.

 One of the most baffling countries to me is the unparalled North Korea. I am astounded every time I learn more about the country and how it operates. It is essentially a country populated by thousands of oppressed citizens, whose futures include prison or death if they speak out against their dictator.  With no free speech, and media being regulated by the government, Kim Jong Un is easily able to suppress the citizens of North Korea. Since its establishment in 1948, the dictators have oppressed their own people in order to keep power. North Korea has been condemned for their lack of human rights by esteemed organizations such as Human Rights Watch and the United Nations. There have been various reports which detail Christians or Buddhists being sent to prison camps although the North Korean Constitution allows "freedom of religious belief". Unless one is a high ranking government official, owning or leasing vehicles is not permitted, much less traveling in or out of the country. Extreme sheltering such as this has caused the citizens to take on an “us against the world” mentality. They have turned communities into a negative concept because they have been sold a propaganda which shows negative portrayals of other countries such as the United States and Japan. Changing North Korea is a complex and difficult task, especially if trying to avoid a full blown war, yet it must be done. Not for gaining resources, land or allies, but for the sake of humanity. Even if the current government was abolished and a more democratic and contemporary government was under control, it would take years, perhaps even decades for North Korea to modernize. This illustrates how urgent the current state of affairs is. Fortunately, there are organizations which fight for the liberties of North Korean citizens by helping them escape the country and by raising awareness to the lack of human rights in North Korea. Liberty in North Korea has helped over three hundred refugees find their freedom and settle into new lives. Although twenty four million people are currently living under this oppression, if it was even just one life it would certainly be worth it. For that one person still has loved ones, aspirations and a life worth living like us.

Oppression is not only utilized by power hungry individuals and elitists, but by those who use religion as an excuse for unjust actions. The untouchables, or Dalits, in India still face discrimination. According to an organization called Dalit Solidarity, Dalits make up one sixth of India’s population, or approximately one hundred and sixty five million people. The Dalits are not even considered part of the caste system because they are so low in social ranking. The caste system originated around seven A.D. and is part the Hinduism belief which states that the caste you are born into is based on the sins and good deeds from your past lives. It is essentially a class system which decides on many important aspects of life such as marriage, friendship, and occupation. Although the Indian Constitution prohibits any discrimination regarding employment, untouchables still face it and often have no alternative to their expected jobs such as removing human feces and dead animals, sweeping streets, or cobbling. Furthermore, even with a law punishing those who discriminate against untouchables, it is common for it to go unattended to according to Dalit Solidarity. People have gone as far as to call it a “hidden apartheid” because Dalits are segregated in housing and schools and live under the abuse of those in a higher ranking caste. According to a report by the Indian government in 2005, “there is a crime committed against a Dalit every 20 minutes.” Once again we must address this issue not because of ulterior motives, but because these are human beings who face an unjust adversity and are being judged for something they have no control over. Getting involved into organizations like Dalit Solidarity can introduce you to a new community that otherwise no one would want to help or join. Although it might seem like not much can be done in a situation like this, Dalit Solidarity says otherwise. They offer many solutions such as helping a young Dalit boy or girl with their education, sponsoring a widow, or donating money for energy bills for preventive help for a family of five.

Lastly, a group that has faced oppression for decades, the Palestinians, are a group that I have become more familiar with through the help of a club in school. I am part of Students for Justice in Palestine, a club meant for those who are interesting in learning about the current conflict between Palestine and Israel and doing something about that conflict. We hold events where we listen to speakers, meet with students studying in Palestine who are visiting America, and hold bake sales to raise money for humanitarian relief and educational supplies. One of our last events showed the similarities of what is happening in Ferguson and Palestine. Palestinians were reported to have tweeted tips on how to remove the pain caused by tear gas and other tips on how to combat Police brutality. Pictures of both Palestinians and Ferguson citizens were tweeted out in which both people held up signs of support for the other. For our particular event, we had a poster in the UC which said, “I Stand With Ferguson Because…” and people would be able to stand under and take a picture with their reason written on a chalkboard. The compassion and willingness people expressed was heartwarming. Many were surprised to hear about the situation happening in both areas, so it really felt like a success that people walked away with new knowledge. The issue in Palestine has not only caused protests from students all over the world, but many international activists and leaders have spoken up about the unjust actions the Palestinians have had to face. Gandhi once said,

"Palestine belongs to the Arabs in the same sense that England belongs to the English or France to the French...What is going on in Palestine today cannot be justified by any moral code of conduct...If they [the Jews] must look to the Palestine of geography as their national home, it is wrong to enter it under the shadow of the British gun. A religious act cannot be performed with the aid of the bayonet or the bomb."

Since the state of Israel was created, territory boundaries have been pushed further and further, creating more land for the Israelis and less land for the Palestinian refugees. Palestinians face discrimination every day in their own home land, ranging from being forced out of their homes to make space for new, illegal Israeli settlements to having different license plates than Israelis and being prohibited to drive on certain roads. They are forced into a separate court system, a military court system, where hearings are held in Hebrew, with translations to Arabic by Israeli soldiers. In 2010 the United Nations stated “legal foundations and practices of the military justice system [in Israel] do not comply with international standards” and that “the exercise of jurisdiction by a military court over civilians not performing military tasks is normally inconsistent with the fair, impartial and independent administration of justice.” However, the most astounding fact according to Haaretz, an Israeli news source, is that 99.74 percent of Palestinians are convicted by the court system. Palestinians are currently living under extremely similar apartheid conditions the South Africans had to face years ago. Desmond Tutu, a Nobel Prize winner, described Palestine and South Africa’s similarities saying “I've been very deeply distressed in my visit to the Holy Land; it reminded me so much of what happened to us black people in South Africa. I have seen the humiliation of the Palestinians at checkpoints and roadblocks, suffering like us when young white police officers prevented us from moving about.” However, through organizations and more people being aware of this situation, things can change. Through BDS (boycotts, divestment and sanctions), companies that directly affect Palestinians in unjust ways are brought to light and stopped. For example Soda Stream had an illegal settlement factory and was forced to relocate in response to the action from the BDS campaign. That is one greater step to justice, and it encourages others who think this may be a lost cause that it’s worth the fight after all. 

We must always put our community of humanity before our personal communities. This allows us to remember that we are all in the same boat, and that it is more beneficial to help one another out, rather than oppress one another for power or for religious reasons. If we all solely think about ourselves, or the people who we consider to be in our community, solving problems becomes a David and Goliath ordeal. However, if we all work together and get involved in worldwide social injustices such as freeing those who are oppressed, it can change from being a David and Goliath story, to a story more like the American Revolution. A story where many people worked together to beat the impossible, for no one in history has made a difference alone, or in one day. Like Paul Loeb was trying to illustrate, it takes many passionate people who are determined for justice, over a long span of time to triumph over the seemly impossible.