Enemies are people too
From SusoSight
| Number: | 112 |
| Date created: | 2004-11-09 14:08:38 |
| Previous Thought: | Presidential Elections. |
| Next Thought: | Suso's md5sum Challenge |
| Voting results: | I agree: 104 |
In life, there is conflict. There is no changing that or denying it. Conflict is all a part of relationships. Whether the relationship is with your pet dog, mother spouse, employer or between governments. The nature of relationships is to conflict, resolve and share.
But all too often when the relationship is bigger, such as that between groups of people such as governments, it becomes all to easy for the people of each group to dismiss the other side as being wrong or on the wrong side. People who do this have failed to realize that your "enemies" are people too. They have thoughts feelings and are part of a group of people who think that their side is best. At least for them.
In America, we have had our share of enemies, most notedly the Soviet Union during the cold war era. I remember growing up and having it beaten into our minds that the Soviet Union was evil and was the enemy. As if they we "out to get us" deliberately to do evil. Much like cartoons at the time like G.I. Joe where Cobra's mantra was to "rule the world". But in reality, the people of the Soviet Union where a friendly people with their own ideas and personalities that simply differed from our own. They felt that their way was the right way to do things.
The same is true in other countries like Afganistan, Iraq, Vietnam, China, France, Rwanda, Australia, Canada, North Korea.... The list goes on and on. People have an inherent will to do good and want good for themselves and those around them, no matter what the country or their beliefs. What may be perceived as bad by us (such as lack of democracy) may be thought highly of by them.
What we see as terrorists might actually be freedom fighters. Its easy for me to imagine that Americans would go to the same extremes or even more so if they were as oppressed as the Palestinians are, or being attacked like the Iraqi people are.
During this recent election I have seen this kind of conflict arise a lot between people even here in America. People who are against George W. Bush and those that are against John Kerry. I'm not even sure whether they are really for their own beliefs and viewpoints, it is more of them being against the beliefs and viewpoints of others. During these conflicts I hear each side try desperately to make its point, thinking that their way is the right way. Most of them become frustrated or bewildered with why the other people don't agree that their belief is "right". Honestly, there is no such thing as right and wrong, good and bad, moral and immoral. There are really only thoughts, ideas and the will of the majority.
Remember this, next time you get into an arguement. Enemies are people too.