Tuesday 19 March 2013

I Thought by Now I Would Understand Everything.

    I am trying to make sense of the human condition. Please bear with me.
When I was little, for many years I lived in a village; I lived in the bottom end of the village; we kids at the bottom formed gangs, and we 'fought' the top end of the village. sometimes violently, with home made weapons. Not surprisingly, for we were boys, and that's what we understood boys did. (Some might like to read A Childhood Revisited. Kindle, Amazon. Ah, happy days.)
Around the age of eleven we went to new schools, not all of us to the same schools. And we made new friends, wore new uniforms and continued fighting, given the chance. Sometimes new foes from different schools, sometimes children in different uniforms, who used to be friends. Because we were now mobile, we made new friends outside of the village, but also new foes out of the village; naturally, inevitably, because that what boys did.
    We liked football and we 'belonged' to the local football team (in our case Derby County); or did they belong to us? Some swore allegiance to more famous or successful teams like Manchester United but their's was a strange affair. They seldom if ever went to their matches and, horror of horrors, they were even known to change to another club if one was so inclined. All part of 'belonging', of 'being someone, not merely one of the crowd. It was all part of growing up.
    Some of us were  were taught 'religion'. The idea of a life after death pleases. To some it makes sense, to others no sense.The idea of being special pleases. Unfortunately many, many religious people feel they, and only they are right and must 'teach' others; by killing the 'opposition' if need be.
Despite the protestations of the pious that it is otherwise 'religion' has been responsible for much death from time immemorial. (All for the off chance of a life after death for a chosen few. Sounds a bit selfish and dictatorial to me.)
    Nevertheless I understand more concerning life than I did in my youth. Not too much more, granted. And if I don't always agree with why people do the things the way they do, at least I can usually understand their thinking. Many people in the United Kingdom for instance have strong views on immigration. They see it in terms of 'them and us', 'our'  not 'their' country and so on. I do not subscribe to this viewpoint but I can well see where this viewpoint comes from. And this is important because yet again this is a post I had not intended to write. Something happened in the week that I cannot for the life of me fathom. The reason for this somewhat convoluted post.
    There was a football match a week or two ago; Tottenham Hotspur v Inter Milan. an Italian team versus a British team. A match that will be remembered yet again for some spectators (not all but not a tiny number either) who were abusive to any black players playing for Tottenham. A frequent occurrence in Italian football. Am I totally 'thick' in not being able to understand this moronic abuse of a fellow human being. Can someone TRY to get in the mind of those responsible for me. I am fortunate that this blog goes to many parts of the world. Please, will someone explain what it is all about. I assume it is not typically Italian behaviour. (It occurs elsewhere.)  Is it a male thing? A class thing? A football thing? Are some people naturally full of hate, and colour of skin is an easy 'marker' as who to 'pick on',
    How frightening that such people may be parents; perhaps they may people in positions of power in the world. How can ANYONE take offence solely because of the colour of a persons skin. I suspect the older I get the less I understand.





16 comments:

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Anonymous said...

Racism is alive and well all over the world, Ken, as is sexism, agism, and any other 'ism' you can think of. We look as someone who is different than we are and think they must be inferior because they're not like us. The darker the skin the less human they are. This has worked since before slavery existed and is sometimes justified as 'the mark of Cain' and is therefore a Christian sentiment. A bunch of twisted thinking that makes no sense to me.

Valerie said...

You would think that things would get better as years go by but instead the hatred seems to have been passed down from generation to generation. I wish a solution could be found.

CWMartin said...

Religion isn't faith. Faith only ever killed one person, and He rose again. Religion is man's perception of what God wants, and often that perception ends exactly as you described.

Helen devries said...

It is abhorrent.
Heckle someone for what he is saying...but not for who he is.

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Bitchy said...

Ken, dare I say I was raised in a house full of rasism, sexism and all the ugly hate mankind offers... Not that I am proud of it just some thing that needed to be said. I never understood hating some one till you knew what that person was about. And even then to hate??? I have only used that word once as an adult when speaking of another person. Not proud of it but it does describe what I fell for this person. I do not understand most of any thing this world offers or says or does or fights about... Humans just confuse me, and the older I get the more they confuse me.

Julia Bentley said...

The theory that some people have of everyone putting a stop to racisim, sexism, abuse, and other horrid things is just that... a theory. A theory that has no basis or truth in it. We are a nation of critics. Many of us find it disgusting to live in a world where horrible things will never cease, unfortunately this is the world we live in. It sucks..

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anita said...

I haven't been here in ages, Ken; and of all days to stop by, I find a very important, yet sad, post.

As a black American, I am familiar with racism, however, fortunate and blessed to not experience it overtly. Perhaps because I now live in an upper middle class neighborhood, as opposed to the neighborhoods of your youth.

When I look at the picture of the young man in the post, I see a beautiful, charming face and hope that he has the personality to match it.

I don't get it either, Ken.

Oh...if people trace our roots back far enough, whether the belief is biblical or in evolution, I think we'll find that we're all related.

Star said...

Hello...the "Life is Never Obvious" post has disappeared. The title is very intriguing...would you re-post it, please? Thanks!

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Grumpy Old Ken said...

Sorry for the late response

ruthainwater

Makes sense. The cain bit I didn't know.
Valerie
Nothing changes, does it.

C W Martin

Interesting!



Helen

Very true

Bitchy


Very, very interesting.
we are all different, life teaches, in many different ways.

Julie

But don't give up on life. There's some good people about.

Anita

You are very loving and forgiving. That's good.

Star

I reckon this part was changed and was never rely finished. My computer skills are naff!


To all the anonymous visitors. Thanks for the visits.


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