Not long ago, I reported a Twitter hate bot spreading hate speech. The specific offensive tweet had a Japanese Nazi background, saying something about China committing war crimes against the Japanese.
Now, somehow, for ultranationalists and racist people around the world, it is easy to turn a blind eye.
During WW2, the Japanese committed mass murder in China, called the Nanking Massacre, killing more than 300,000 people. Reportedly, army commanders had a contest for who could kill more than 100 people with a samurai sword.
There is no country in this world that has not committed some type of mass murder or auto-genocide at some point of history.
UK settlers committed crimes against Australian Aborigines, the US slaughtered native Indians, Russians committed crimes against both Polish people and their own people, Germans committed genocide against Jewish people, and the Jewish people have decimated Palestinian people...
All in all, we are a murderous species.
If you don’t believe me, ask yourself: what food was on your menu today?
Just in the UK, on an annual basis, our species kills over 10 million pigs, 15 million sheep, 16 million turkeys, 14 million ducks and geese, 975 million broiler chickens, 40 million so-called 'spent' hens, and over 2.6 million cattle. In the world, there are 1.3 billion cattle and almost 1 billion pigs, all waiting to be slaughtered at some point of their short lives.
Often, we call sharks dangerous, because of one or two shark attacks per year, yet we kill 100 million sharks each year, just to cut off their fins and throw everything else away. Imagine if someone would cut your arms and legs off, because he needed fingernails, and then left you to bleed out. A very similar thing happens with rhinos killed because of their horns or elephants killed for their tusks.
Maybe you are vegetarian?
Where does the milk come from for those cakes and chocolates? Do you use palm oil in your beauty products?
So, what about all those forests cut for the purpose of farming, furniture, and palm oil?
How many wild animals and other species have become extinct for the purpose of your skin looking nicer?
What about skin on those leather boots?
Or, you are vegan?
Do you drive cars?
Does your gasoline come from Hydraulic fracturing (fracking)?
How many people and animals have died because of water poisoning?
What about those ocean oil spills—how many marine species have died because of us?
Have you heard about the “butterfly effect”?
Mathematician Edward Lorenz suggested that the flap of a butterfly's wings might ultimately cause a tornado. Is it possible that claps of your “wings” are causing a tornado that could kill someone?
No, I am not blaming you, just saying that no one is innocent. We all have blood on our hands. So, instead of blaming someone else for the crimes our ancestors did, we all have to be aware of who we are.
If we want real progress, we need to face the truth, understand it, and forgive—but always remember.
Maybe, to regain trust, years and sometimes even lifetimes are needed to heal wounds between nations, so, more than often, patience is the only tool to reconcile and continue as brothers. Then, one day, when it ripens with fruits of unification, it may well be worth it.
Each of our actions is important; each of our actions matters, and although forcing every move would not work, as it would require significant effort, if we truly change ourselves for the better, those actions will be effortless.
And it is never simple; as it goes, good tools/people in the hands of evil can become instruments of evil, and, regardless of how much you try to be good and positive, completely unaware, often we are that instrument, wielded by the evil hand.
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