9 year old boy voicing his ‘opinion’ on Obama and Romney
Are We Understanding?
“We must learn to regard people less in the light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
This young boy speaking about Romney, does he not seem familiar? The kids being sent to religious camps, the kids standing at the picket line against or for abortion, god & civil rights. Kids are not stupid, but misinforming a child is extremely dangerous. Each action can have an adverse effect on them as much as a positive impact. Children know when something is bad and many parents do a fine job teaching moral values; showcasing human emotion and empathy towards others, but something is overlooked. Something that feels lost in many adults; empathy on a full level. Rather a personal feeling of environmental teachings that lead to selective empathy and loss of remorse for one’s actions.
Let's take this boy for instance. 9 years old, seems like a nice kid. Is what he saying shocking? Many of the American public could say yes, but people in this country will actually agree with what he is saying. His father is standing in the background, laughing in an agreeable manner with what his son is saying. It might not seem like reinforcement, but the teaching of extreme and sometimes false ideas at all will manifest a concrete opinion of bias against others. Will this child grow up thinking that every Republican or Conservative person wants black people to work in a field? Would this teaching lead him down the same path of his father, believing everything said by an influential outlet?
Think of the wall this teaching builds. The kid, being misinformed, is building up thoughts of bigotry towards a group simply because he is told to. All the while, that group is watching this and reinforcing their misinformed bias. Does this seem like a logical process? Creating this line that separates the population into groups. Groups that stand for ideals actively against others, pointing their finger at anything that goes against their teachings, calling it amoral or intolerant. Overlooking their ability to understand, to empathize.
To empathize with another is an amazing trait. The ability to look at someone’s life, to hear their story and to then to feel it, to experience it yourself. To understand pain, love, victories and losses of an individual or of a group. In the office I work at one of the employees has cancer. It was devastating to everyone when the news was announced. It sparked us and the efforts of people within the office have been amazing. A video was made and money was raised. These actions show the compassion and sympathy that our group had for someone that was our own. To recognize the hardships and the pain that my co-worker is dealing with, and to let him see that we understand what he is going through to the best degree we can. This compassion is always around. Look at churches that give to charity as well as running a charitable service themselves for people less fortunate than others. It is amazing and beautiful.
Anger and uncertainty, clouded judgement, misled teachings? Why is empathy overlooked? Do we laugh at someone hitting their funny bone because the pain is funny? Or because we can empathize the feeling so it becomes funny? The latter would be the hope, but absolute belief would unravel the reason in this.
At a sports game recently, a commotion had arisen from someone sitting in the wrong seats. It grabbed the attention of everyone in the vicinity of the stadium. Laughs and opinions of the hilarity could be heard earshot from multiple people. Did a laugh radiate from my seat?
My mind was accounting what was happening. The young man defending himself in a ridiculous manner. Raised voices of anger towards the men enforcing the rules. He could have handled the situation better, but he didn’t. Did I feel a reason to laugh? No and while I know that he was in the wrong based off rules, I also know the frustration and anger that he went through. Why does this happen?
Looking at the situation, he could have either stayed in the seats or been respectful enough of the rules to go to the correct seats. He could have explained that he was in the wrong and understands fully; the rules and the cost difference of seats. Then to ask if it would be okay if him and his friend stayed, with the argument of leaving those seats if patrons with tickets to the seats showed up. If that didn’t work than he could have been empathetic with the worker about the rules and left. Instead the patron is angry and leaves with hateful thoughts towards the worker and everything to do with the stadium. The worker not enjoying having to deal with unruly patrons. When everything can be dismantled and put back so both people leave the situation content, even if they don’t agree on the situation at least they have a mutual understanding. Why doesn’t this occur more often? And why do we find these unfortunate situations entertaining? Is it funny for either party involved? Not really.
Situations of any caliber between people in this world sprout everyday. If you are part of the situation, are you able to put yourself in someone’s shoes. Someone that differs greatly than you do. Reader are you truly capable of showing empathy towards that which is different than you? Are you willing to do it? To teach children real tolerance? To really “love thy neighbor?”
Let's take this boy for instance. 9 years old, seems like a nice kid. Is what he saying shocking? Many of the American public could say yes, but people in this country will actually agree with what he is saying. His father is standing in the background, laughing in an agreeable manner with what his son is saying. It might not seem like reinforcement, but the teaching of extreme and sometimes false ideas at all will manifest a concrete opinion of bias against others. Will this child grow up thinking that every Republican or Conservative person wants black people to work in a field? Would this teaching lead him down the same path of his father, believing everything said by an influential outlet?
Think of the wall this teaching builds. The kid, being misinformed, is building up thoughts of bigotry towards a group simply because he is told to. All the while, that group is watching this and reinforcing their misinformed bias. Does this seem like a logical process? Creating this line that separates the population into groups. Groups that stand for ideals actively against others, pointing their finger at anything that goes against their teachings, calling it amoral or intolerant. Overlooking their ability to understand, to empathize.
To empathize with another is an amazing trait. The ability to look at someone’s life, to hear their story and to then to feel it, to experience it yourself. To understand pain, love, victories and losses of an individual or of a group. In the office I work at one of the employees has cancer. It was devastating to everyone when the news was announced. It sparked us and the efforts of people within the office have been amazing. A video was made and money was raised. These actions show the compassion and sympathy that our group had for someone that was our own. To recognize the hardships and the pain that my co-worker is dealing with, and to let him see that we understand what he is going through to the best degree we can. This compassion is always around. Look at churches that give to charity as well as running a charitable service themselves for people less fortunate than others. It is amazing and beautiful.
Anger and uncertainty, clouded judgement, misled teachings? Why is empathy overlooked? Do we laugh at someone hitting their funny bone because the pain is funny? Or because we can empathize the feeling so it becomes funny? The latter would be the hope, but absolute belief would unravel the reason in this.
At a sports game recently, a commotion had arisen from someone sitting in the wrong seats. It grabbed the attention of everyone in the vicinity of the stadium. Laughs and opinions of the hilarity could be heard earshot from multiple people. Did a laugh radiate from my seat?
My mind was accounting what was happening. The young man defending himself in a ridiculous manner. Raised voices of anger towards the men enforcing the rules. He could have handled the situation better, but he didn’t. Did I feel a reason to laugh? No and while I know that he was in the wrong based off rules, I also know the frustration and anger that he went through. Why does this happen?
Looking at the situation, he could have either stayed in the seats or been respectful enough of the rules to go to the correct seats. He could have explained that he was in the wrong and understands fully; the rules and the cost difference of seats. Then to ask if it would be okay if him and his friend stayed, with the argument of leaving those seats if patrons with tickets to the seats showed up. If that didn’t work than he could have been empathetic with the worker about the rules and left. Instead the patron is angry and leaves with hateful thoughts towards the worker and everything to do with the stadium. The worker not enjoying having to deal with unruly patrons. When everything can be dismantled and put back so both people leave the situation content, even if they don’t agree on the situation at least they have a mutual understanding. Why doesn’t this occur more often? And why do we find these unfortunate situations entertaining? Is it funny for either party involved? Not really.
Situations of any caliber between people in this world sprout everyday. If you are part of the situation, are you able to put yourself in someone’s shoes. Someone that differs greatly than you do. Reader are you truly capable of showing empathy towards that which is different than you? Are you willing to do it? To teach children real tolerance? To really “love thy neighbor?”
