“Never allow yourself to hate a people because of the actions of a few.” — Erich Hartmann WW2 Luftwaffe Ace

Thoughts on Today’s Quote

I was in a chat the other day where some of the folks in the chat expressed hate of groups of people based on the past history with that group. In this case, we’re not talking about their personal history with that group nor with the current members of the group.

Then I saw this quote and to me it summed up what was wrong with what I was hearing.

It reminded me of my maternal grandmother who nursed a lifelong revulsion for Germans. It’s root was WW2 and that she had lost family at the hands of the Germans during the London blitz. Many from her generation harboured similar views. For them, it was what they lived through and it was painful. I can have some understanding for that. To a point.

It wasn’t all Germans who participated in WW2. Even those who did serve, it was out of duty and in some cases fear for their families. It was those in control of the German government of the day and elements like the SS who were hardcore for the fight. That made it a very small number of Germans, yet, the pain they brought to others produced a response that struck at all Germans.

We see it today, Daesh in terms of the whole of the Muslim population is a very small number yet their actions bring down anger, suspicion and hatred directed by many toward anyone who is Muslim.

The government of a past generation carries out institutional racism and the governments of today become painted with the same brush. Usually because they can’t change the past yet are expected to serve justice usually through a monetary value.

A person representing themselves as being representative of the Christian faith harms others and the anger becomes directed at anyone who is of the Christian faith.

The list is without end. Anger and the hatred it fuels gets too easily out of hand. It feeds an unquenchable fire that spreads from those directly responsible for the wrongs to anyone who is part of the identifiable group not only from that generation but for generations to come. Anytime someone from that identifiable group carries out an act that relates to the original hate, it becomes further proof the hate is justified.

How come when someone from that identifiable group carries out an act of kindness and compassion doesn’t the proof become less justified? Do we really need to give the fire of hatred so much power that we can never see there are good and bad in every group? Can we never see that those groups may be different than us, but they also want to live in peace and security just like us?

It takes being self aware enough to look at our own individual and collective actions and attitudes before we can even begin to start changing and taking the power away from hate.

About Coffee Time Meditation

I love being inspired by other people’s quotes. I thought I’d start sharing some quotes that inspire me along with my own thoughts the quote evokes within me. So, think of someone, like me, sitting quietly with the first fresh coffee of the day and mediating about the words of the quote. That would be me, or it could be you.

I invite you to share your own thoughts on the quote in the comments.

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Have a great day
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