I can’t breathe! He said these words sixteen times in five minutes, over and over again to the four white policemen who had pinned him down to the ground, unperturbed by his plea for mercy. What did this man do? He was accused of buying cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill. He was unarmed, he surrendered gracefully and he provoked the police in no possible way. He battled for 8 minutes and 46 seconds and finally could not take the pressure on his throat and chest. The officers still kept him pinned down. Should I rephrase my answer to the above question: “What did he do?” Well, he was a black man. I’m talking about George Floyd whose brutal murder by the police has exploded The United States of America in the midst of a pandemic.
Humans built societies according to their own convenience and their own set of beliefs which may or may not be reflections of truth. They divided themselves on the basis of their skin color, demographics, religion, food, culture, facial features and by boundaries: both physical and mental. “At last, now we have an identity” – said we, because we now felt secure and powerful.
But what if these very identities are just a wrapper, a wrapper that is made of threads and that is so much perfected over time to confuse and manipulate us that we never seem to untangle the threads and find the loose ends to finally reach the candy? What if the candy, the real thing, is beautifully uncomplicated: a place where you would never reach? What if our identities are simply homogeneous?
We all have been given the most sophisticated machinery on planet earth: our body. An American would breathe, eat and sleep the same way an Indian or African would. These three elements are the core basis of survival. We have the same machinery, it works the same way, it has the same aspirations, it has the same emotions and it has the same “rights”.
Where have we gone wrong? Knowledge is abundant in this modern world and so is misinformation. Our intellect, our ethics and our moral principles need a revision. They have been covered under the dust of misinformation and “modernization”. The principle of equality attracts all, but few really get the essence of its power. Equality if understood correctly, has the potential to end wars, to encourage inclusion and to eliminate negative forces.
Let there be segregation and discrimination between the right and wrong, the good and evil and not between humans and humanity.
Do share your thoughts with me in the comment section. Do Like, comment and share! Stay Aware , Stay ahead!
-Ananya Saxena