“Will you stand above me(belittle me)
Look my way, never love me(acknowledge me)
Rain keeps falling, rain keeps falling
down, down, down.
Will you recognize me(see me)
Call my name or walk on by. (get to know me)
Rain keeps falling, rain keeps falling
Down, Down, down”. (thanks Simple Minds).
Over the last few years, we have all experienced history in the making. Whether you are Caucasian, Black, Asian, or Indigenous, the fear of being yourself, a person within your own skin, has challenged you, your family, and your neighbor’s beliefs, expectations, and hopes. What does it mean to be who and what you are in a particular place in time on this globe? Who am I? Why am I here? Questions with a multitude of answers only you can find for yourself.
Humanities history has branded us all. Male-Female-Others, Skin color, where we are from, moneyed-Poor. Our education and intelligence, personal worth, the community we are from, and where we live. A black person in the Bronx represents a brand or label to others. A white family in San Francisco(two of a kind), or a Latino in Puerto Rico. Every one of us is labeled or branded to be a certain type of person. Labels and brands of this type create myths, urban legends that spread like a wildfire among our own kind. Hurtful, fearful myths that are passed onto our own kind, young and old through time.
Examples: Black and Latino’s males tend to make up gangland membership.
White males are the primary source of serial killers and pedophiles
White communities are safer than black/ Latino communities.
Indigenous are prone to addiction
Men need to be paid more so they can support their families.
Certain cultures are less reliable than others(employment-marriage longevity).
There is truth in almost every myth, yet our neighbor’s ability to choose is often not taken into account. I may live in poverty but that does not mean I will commit a crime. I am black and proud of it, and that does not make me a racist. I may not wear a mask, nor have I had my vaccinations. That should not make me a target of others to be ridiculed and despised.
When a human being is branded, the label sticks. Ever noticed being noticed? In a crowd, do you stick out among all others, or are you just one of them? These past few years we have seen many movements of humanity calling out one simple message…
Do you see me, Do you hear me, Can you understand me?
So-called extremist groups, a mass of people marching with hope, a rainbow of colors evoking the God of Democracy, Fairness, Equality, and Justice for all. Can you hear them, see them and understand their message? All messages are different, some may be bizarre and offensive to you, yet hear them because these messages come from somewhere deep within your neighbor’s life experience. They believe these messages and want to express them to you. What is the most powerful of brands? What sells in North America these many years? Fear-Mistrust-Hatred? You have to ask yourself which of these is a prime over within your life. How do you respond when someone different approaches you, sits by you, talks in a differing tongue. Do you hate those who say they hate you? Ever wonder why they hate you? You will be surprised by their answer if they do have an answer. Why do you fear others, mistrusting their intentions without understanding them?
The population of this globe is filled with fearful mistrusting people. You do not think so? Why do nations have huge armies, weapons of mass destruction, ever-growing police departments whose sole purpose seems to be keeping you and me in check, controlled, and pacified?
Look into the face of those you pass by with respect and true acknowledgment. See them, whether they are in need or just smiling at you. There is just one brand we need to recognize and celebrate…that we are all the same. People who need people to survive, thrive, and learn from too. To hell with color, creed, or nationality. That person thousands of miles away, or your neighbor next door is you in a different place in time. Recognize and celebrate our unique sameness.
Steven Kaszab
Bradford, Ontario
[email protected]
