QUARANTINE LIFE: QUESTIONS?

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There are entire generations whose marching orders were to "show “them” how good, proper, worthy, intelligent, polite, resourceful, responsible, cooperative, and harmless you are". 

Be a pillar; an example of grace and respectability. 

Be articulate, sober, and a credit to your race. 

Showing “ them” your humanity was supposed to inspire a change in “their” hearts and minds. 

The premise was that those who oppressed; whose approval was sought, were superior in every way.‬ 

Didn’t so many follow the mandate to work twice as hard? 

Didn’t they teach their children to do the same? 

Wasn’t all of that collective excellence, and demonstration of humanity supposed to make everything alright, break down barriers, open doors, roll out welcome wagons, and guarantee safety? 

Why, then, does racism persist? 

Why is there STILL such intense hatred?

What makes people hate you so viciously, especially if you’ve never harmed them? 
What causes people to handicap themselves in order to keep others oppressed?
What drives them to find, or create fault to justify their fear?
What is the physical, emotional, and spiritual result of harboring, spreading, and teaching hatred?

 
What toll, on a body and mind, does being hated and hunted take?

IS it hatred, or is it overwhelming shame? 

Do their actions torment them? 

Is your presence, strength, health, success, talent, education, restraint, wisdom, or ability to thrive, a trigger? 

Do you constantly remind the person who hates you of their own evil thoughts, plans, history, and actions? 
Is your ability to thrive, in spite of the suffering you endured, a problem?  

Is that what enrages them? 

That you didn’t die? 

Would they feel better about, or be at peace with themselves if you just disappeared? 
Would they be at greater peace if they simply owned the sinfulness of their actions? 

Did the hatred even start with them? 

Was it inherited, taught, and encouraged? 

Is hatred all that they know? 

Is it who they are? 

Would abandoning hatred upset the order of their lives? 

Would it threaten relationships? 

Would challenging and confronting their hatred require them to see their ancestors and elders differently?

 
Is their perceived, shameful, un-forgiven state driving them mad? 

Is that why they arm themselves, look for, and instigate fights? 

Are they secretly afraid? 

Are they hoping someone will retaliate? 

Would they rather continue to cause harm and die than to simply apologize and repent? 

Is that why they seek to engage and destroy you? 

Are they hoping you’ll fight back so that they can justify their unresolved, unreasonable hatred and anger? 

Should you rethink why you feel powerless? 

Do you ignore or pity them? 

Do you try to understand them; pray for them, or do you just sit and wait for them to destroy themselves? 

Is that inevitable? 

Is their own irrational, misplaced hatred destroying them? 

Why don’t they see it? 

How do you avoid getting caught up in it? 

How do you avoid hating them and yourself for allowing their hatred to monopolize so much of your life?