I was horrified to read in today's press that already there are serious death-threats on Obama's life and on his family too. The FBI already have a headache working out how they are going to protect him over the term of his presidency. Not just from racist thugs such as Ku Klux Klan but anti-abortion lobbyists, religious fundamentalists and terrorists both foreign and domestic. Two assassination plots have been foiled already. There is suggestion that he might not even actually make it to the White House by January. One security source said: “It’s not the crazies who tell you what they’re gonna do that are dangerous, it’s the crazies that don’t. And we all know they’re out there. It only takes one lunatic racist with a gun, one deranged extremist with a single bullet, one determined white supremacist, to end it all. And you can bet there are plenty of angry, disturbed people lining up for the chance to be that one."
It got me wondering why people have to be so hostile to others. Why are there wars? Often it is over something like religion or ownership of land. Why can't we just accept one another's skin colour or religion? This world would be a boring old place if we all thought the same, dressed the same, lived the same. Supposing someone decreed that from now on, you could only wear green. Would those wearing red or blue be driven out of the land? Why can't we just accept that the world belongs to all of us? Why are we so greedy that we want land belonging to someone else and are not content with the bit of the planet we stand on? Why not accept that we are all brothers and sisters and probably originated from the same very small gene pool? Maybe I am being too simplistic and naive.
I have already written a little about the cul-de-sac where I live, when I wrote about Halloween. I mentioned that there are 32 houses and everyone knows everyone else by name and that the children all play with one another and wander in and out of each other's houses. What I did not mention is that roughly half of those inhabitants are a mixture of nationalities from all over the globe. Their reasons for being in London are as varied as their nationalities. When I think about it, they come from:
Thailand
Hungary
Italy
India
Bosnia
Ghana
Germany
Croatia
Malawi
Denmark
Pakistan
We are a right little United Nations and the lovely thing is that we all get along fine with no squabbles or problems. We have had parties on a communal bit of land to celebrate big events like VE Day or the Millennium, as well as smaller events like birthdays or at any excuse (such as the sky was blue!) Often the non-British neighbours will contribute a national dish of theirs to the celebrations. I remember on one occasion when Greg was carted off in ambulance a few years ago (and I was unaware that anyone even knew), our Pakistani neighbour came across the road to me on that very evening with a ready-cooked lamb and rice dish she had made to save me cooking. Maybe the World Leaders should come along and take a look. They might learn something to use as a template for world peace. It's just a thought.
12 comments:
I'm with you Rosiero. Who cares what colour our skin is or where we come from. I don't.
I'm afraid someone will get Mr. Obama before he has a chance to make a difference. And I really believe he will make a difference.
I'm holding my breath on this.
Absolutely. Well said. I can't abide racists.
CJ xx
If everyone thought like you Rosiero, the world would be a much better place.
You have some fine neighbours, Rosiero.
But the answer to your questions is that people range from nice people like you, through less nice people to, at the other end, a lot of very nasty people. It's called human nature or something like that, I think!
I quite agree with you Rosiero - why can't we just accept one another and learn to live in harmony. And I also fear for the President elect - do hope he has a chance to make the difference we are all needing.
A x
I live in a neighbourhood like you and we all live in harmony, so why can't the rest of the world live in harmony?
Gill in Canada
I come from Northern Ireland, where until relatively recently, assination was a way of life. I was informed by the police that they had information that I was a target for assination (I employed people of the wrong religion). I took sensible precautions to minimise the risk of course, but I didn't let the would-be assassins ruin my life. Barack Obama & his family will have known that these death threats were going to arise. They probably had some during his 21 month fight to become president. While no security can be 100%, I'm sure that the USA security forces are reasonably confident that they can keep Obama alive.
i couldn't agree more rosiero. and like aims i fear somebody may get Obama before he has a chance to make a difference, already i have heard him banded as a tragic black JFK character. bigots abound as do the great uneducated who have him pegged as a terrorist. there are a frightening number of ribbon thin minds out there.
We need a more multi-cultural society up North - when people live in their own bubble that's when the lack of understanding happens.
Me, too, I'm very afraid and I hope they guard him well. What a pity that there is so much hatred in the world ...
(How is Greg? Is there some hope that he will get better in hospital?)
Your street sounds a great premise for world peace. Perhaps you should write to your local MP. Or Gordon Brown.
Thank you all for your comments.
Robert - you must have been so worried. I remember those IRA days well. As a civil servant, our department was always getting bomb threats.
Cologneblog - thanks. I shall try and update the Greg story soon.
Post a Comment