Day 70 Question 70:
What recent news story made a pretty big impact on you?
In the news lately we have been hearing more and more often about various hate crimes that are taking place all over the nation (all over the world actually). I was skipping through questions to possibly answer this week for my blog entries when I came across a headline on Yahoo News that caught my attention: Iraqi Woman Beaten to Death in California, Hate Crime Suspected (I inserted the article below along with a couple of other articles I think people should read to bring awareness to what is really going on in this country).
I am a person filled with love that tries my very best to treat everyone with respect. By no means am I perfect and I admit that I have wrongly judged people or made politically incorrect comments in my day but the idea of hate crimes just absolutely baffles me. I see EVERYONE in this world as equals because we are all human beings. We all breathe the same air. We all have a pulse. We all have a beating heart in our chest. We may vary in size, shape and color but we are all still people. I look at people of different heritages and ethnicities and see an opportunity to learn and also an opportunity to educate. Unfortunately, a lot of people around the world do not see things the way that I do.
In California and Iraqi woman was beaten to death in her own home with a note laying next to her lifeless body that said, “Go back to your country.” She had received a vicious note just a week before in which she was called a terrorist. She was the mother of 5 children and it was her 17 year old daughter that had to discover her mother lying in a pool of blood no longer alive. I can’t wrap my brain around that kind of hatred. Whoever is responsible for this crime I am sure never took into account the young children that would be suffering (emotionally/mentally) without their mother and how emotionally traumatizing it would be for one of them to find her severely beaten body. It is nothing but pure selfishness and IGNORANCE!!!
9/11/2001 marks the date of when the Twin Towers were attacked and thousands of innocent Americans were killed. This was an atrocious act of terrorism and YES the attackers were Muslim but they were Muslim extremists. It is WRONG to blame an entire race of people for the actions of a few. It is WRONG to call all Muslim people terrorists. I work at a restaurant that employs people that are from Mexico, Thailand and Indonesia. My boss (the owner) is a dear friend of mine. She is originally from Indonesia and she was born and raised Muslim. Our former sushi chef was also Muslim. Never ever in a million years would either of these people perform terrorist acts. My boss is one of the kindest people I have ever met and to be honest she takes greater pride in this country than most Americans that were born here. It truly breaks my heart that people believe certain things that they do. It breaks my heart that people can live with hate in their hearts and be ok with it. It breaks my heart to think that violence is the answer for some people. In my opinion, humanity is slowly turning into this place of selfishness and has this overlying tone of “ME ME ME”. As people we need to do something about it. I don’t have the answer but I share what I do in my blogs in order to throw it in people’s faces.
I don’t care what anyone says, there is absolutely NO excuse for hate crimes. If you don’t like someone that is your business. If you choose to be racist or prejudice that is your business too. If you choose to harm or kill another person than you are making it the business of the public. Maybe I am a dreamer but in my opinion, as American people (or people in general) we are a family and we should protect each other. I am amazed at how much hatred occurs between the people of a country called the “UNITED” States. Nowadays, there is nothing united about us. We are people that are divided on almost every issue…whether it be politics, religion, parenting, education, etc. We are a country that just enjoys and argument and it is sadly dividing us as people more and more every single day.
I expect ridicule and backlash for my thoughts. I expect people to tell me that I am wrong. People are entitled to that as I am entitled to my own opinion. That is why I made the title of this blog: In My Opinion. I don’t have all of the answers but I do know that treating people like they are below you is just wrong. I do know that harming people strictly because of their race or creed is wrong. I would love for someone to tell me differently and be able to back is up with a sophisticated argument. I have my doubts that that would be possible.
I feel like this entry has a negative undertone and I feel like I am being kind of snippy and that is not my intention. I am just sick and tired of looking at a newspaper, turning on the news or even just turning on my computer and seeing headlines everyday about someone/people being killed, tortured, beaten based on nothing
but superficial ignorance and hatred. I am an American born white woman (and I guess being a woman I would be inferior in some people’s eyes). I have gay friends. I have black friends. I have Muslim friends. I have Mexican friends. I have disabled friends. I have young friends. I have old friends. I have deaf friends. I wish more people would see the world through different lenses and just accept people. If they choose not to like people then just keep that to themselves and accept that people are different. People have a hard time with acceptance though (I understand it is not always an easy thing). People have been born and raised to believe that the answer is to spout off at the mouth and to fight. I am not saying people should always just keep their mouths shut but I believe we need to start educating children at a young age about tact, discretion and respect. Too many adults these days are shitty role models for their children…just check out the 2nd video I posted below. Remember while you watch that this woman is a mother (warning there is a lot of swearing).
I don’t have all of the answers on how to stop hate crimes. I cannot change everyone’s minds and views on the world (I wouldn’t want to). I just hate to see the direction our world is headed. I feel like over time we should have started to move past racism and prejudice but it seems to be getting stronger and stronger every minute, every day and every year. Please check out the news articles below and the videos I have posted and share them. No, they are not easy topics to take in but there needs to be awareness. If you are a parent I hope you teach your children about equality and teach them about humanity. As people we need to start educating each other. We need to take a stand and better ourselves. Hatred (in my opinion) is unnatural. It is a reflex for some people because that is what they were taught to know all while growing up. We need to teach love. Love is natural. Acceptance is the right choice. Kindness is the answer. If you are unable to practice these things then keep to yourself. Violence solves absolutely nothing. This is something I know for certain. Violence only causes more mass chaos. Do you want to be the cause of mass chaos?
Iraqi Woman Beaten to Death in California, Hate Crime Suspected
By Olivia Katrandjian | ABC
A woman from Iraq who was found beaten, lying in a pool of blood in her in El Cajon, Calif., home next to a note saying “go back to your country,” has died and police are investigating her death as a possible a hate crime.
Shaima Alawadi’s 17-year-old daughter found her unconscious on the dining room floor of her home Wednesday. She was taken to the hospital and put on life support, but she was taken off life around 3 p.m. Saturday.
“Our understanding is that she was beaten and she was hit with some kind of a tool about 8 times in the head. She was knocked on the floor and was found in a pool of blood,” said Hanif Mohebi, the director of the San Diego chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Alawadi was a 32-year-old mother of five children, ranging in age from eight to 17.
“A week ago they left a letter saying this is our country not yours you terrorist, and so my mom ignored that thinking it was just kids playing a prank,” Alawadi’s daughter, Fatima Al Himidi, told ABC News affiliate KGTV. “But the day they hit her, they left another note again, and it said the same thing.”
Al Himidi told KGTV the intruders did not steal anything from their home, and the only motive must have been hate.
“A hate crime is one of the possibilities, and we will be looking at that,” Lt. Mark Coit said, according to The Associated Press. “We don’t want to focus on only one issue and miss something else.”
Al Awadi immigrated to the United States from Iraq in the mid-1990s.
There is a large Iraqi population in El Cajon, Mohebi said, and its members often face “discriminatory hate incidents.”
“Our ultimate goal is that whoever did this is brought to justice,” Mohebi said.
Check out these links as well
It's a New Day... 
Read Prisoner of Tehran – it is haunting. I agree with your point of view 100% why cant people just get along?
Thank you for writing this…..it made me think hard …but most of all it made me read and read again ….well done ….well done
I live in a small village in the middle of England. There is a fast food restaurant with a guy from Iran behind the counter and a few days ago my son got talking to him. He is a refugee from Iran who left after seeing one too many of his family members killed by the regime. His brother went missing and was found dead after he called a radio show criticising the ruling power – he left his real name which was the wrong thing to do. Now this guy is in another country, away from everything he knows, serving food, and afraid to mention he is Iranian because of prejudice, maybe even violence. Many Iranians left their homes to escape violence but instead some have run straight into the arms of their own death. They thought they were coming to civilised societies. Not so much as it turns out.
Wow. Thank you for sharing this. Stories like that make me so sad :0( but I think it is so important to bring awareness.
Kudos on this very fine post, Diane.
As the years roll on, I notice more and more meanness and hatred developing in ‘my fellow human beings’…this is extremely disturbing. Where are moral values? Why have so many turned to the darkness, occupying themselves with negativity, when it is so easy to accomplish a good deed, even if only once a week.
There are enough things out there which can kill us; therefore, there is a complete lack of reason and sanity when one being kills another.
Until we all get that everyone is a member of the human family, and to kill, disrespect, abuse, or ostracize another, is to do it to a family member.
Unfortunately, because of the huge concept that we’re separate and somehow not connected to all, we are stuck in our hate and ignorance.
Thanks for putting this out there in such an eloquent manner. Many of my blogs seem to focus on “negtivity” also, but like you, I’m writing in hopes of sharing something that will open others eyes to what’s possible when we come together in compassion.
Life is beautiful, but humans can make it ugly and messy.
Thank you so much for your response. I try not to write in a negative manner. I get frsutrated and angry like any other human being but when I read about senseless crimes I feel so saddened. We are all connected. We are all human beings. I just try to spread the word in hopes that people may start to embrace that and maybe look at life with a different perspective. :0)
We’re in a world sadly where many peoples way of looking at things is completely warped. We forget that we are all human and forget to act accordingly. That is what extremists do, they forget who they are impacting and hurting. It’s a shame what people let themselves do.
I blame the news and governments for perpetuating this hatred. Governments want to create hatred of other nations so they have support when they propose a war. Unfortunately the world runs on oil at the moment and until we change that their will always be war. There is no excuse for such vile hatred as you mention in this story, but it is this hatred that generates support for ‘patriotic’ war supporters.
We are all one race, with no borders, our governments create these borders to increase fear and dependence on their support. If media, including this piece, we’re more focused on how a person from the US gave an Iraqi man CPR saving his life, then more joy would spread. Unfortunately, that kind of news doesnt sell. That is why it is even more important for the individual’s amongst us to spread that news freely using any means possible. We don’t want money for news, we want world peace.
What you put your attention on grows stronger in your life. Try flicking through a news paper for the positive headlines, and only read those articles.
I definitely put a TON of attention on the positive. I have changed very drastically in a positive manner because of this. I just have to address these things every once in a while because I do find them important.
I totally agree – there are bad things out there that we need to pay attention to in order to rectify them. Keep up your good work. 😉
those videos are sad. sad state of society.
I very much agree!
i watched the mcdonald’s video with the foul-mouthed girl waiting for her food. it’s a tough call. intially, i’d want to give her the money back and tell her to get out, but she might go nuts. if you’re thinking for the business, get her food fast and get rid of her, but that sends the wrong message.
grrrr.
D-This is a well written article on a serious subject…I feel though, and I have written about this in my own blog, that much of what we discuss as a “racial” issue is really a cultural issue.
Many young people, of all colors, have been raised in a world of “Media Culture” a saturated (& promoted) sub-cultural group of this hyped new “Media Culture is “ghetto” culture.
“Thugism” is not a result of skin color it is a cultural phenomenon.
I feel this is an important distinction to make because it allows us to discuss the issue from a “truth” that is more relative to the process. I also feel that the claim that these behaviors are the result of an individual’s skin pigmentation to be the most inherently racist statement, yet I here such statements, even by supposed experts, and all the time.
Please understand that I am not saying racism does not exist, it does,(If we were all the same color, all the same religion, we would still find reasons to hate and kill each other unfortunately[race & religion are only convenient excuses]) But in the discussion we are having here, are having as a society at large, much of what we focus on is not racial differences, but cultural differences.
Anyway bla, bla, bla, Yer posts are always nice and sweet (unlike my own lol) and I hope you don’t mind me leaving such a long reply but I do feel this is an important topic and love the way that you have been brave enough to talk about it. It is not negative to examine an issue and explore ways. as a culture, to come to a better understanding and an acceptable way to heal and move forward.
Thanks fer the sharing of yer opinion and offering me a chance to reply…
Thanks for the post. Everything that cause people to stop and consider their own prejudices is a small victory in a the fight against racism.
Racism starts in the head. I wrote a post last week about my experiences with racism.
If everyone can think positive, our differences wouldn’t result in racism. Our differences would be embraced as something special, something to strive for. Everyone is asking for a better world, but individually, our thoughts and actions does not match.
Thank you for an honest opinion worth thinking about.
A very good post.
It is sad that when our “leaders” had to choose between the path of Mahatma Gandhi and Hitler, more leaders go for the latter rather than the former. A Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandela is the exception rather than the rule.
Hitler showed us that all we need to build a loyal following is to tap into the fear of the people and turn it into hatred. While paying lipservice to Gandhi’s non-violence, today’s leaders resort to Hitler’s tactics to win support.
As a society we have reached a point where the very tools that made us great are leading us to our downfall.
Democracy, free press, communication.
Diane, Have you been following the news where an American solider killed 16 Afganis? It was brutal. I liked the way you wrote the article. I don’t like people who are biased and give biased views on people. I’m a Muslim and the way people sometimes criticize and generalize everything makes me mad. They don’t try to comprehend the whole situation and start creating mess for everyone. If a person speaks Arabic somehow, he is a Muslim, how is that possible? Myriads number of movies are made where they signified the whole ‘terrorism’ as ‘muslim’ ! Doesn’t make sense! It’s quite absurd and illogical. Other than that, whenever I pick up daily newspaper in India, I find several cases of rape, molestation and brutal accidents everyday. Because of that, I ended up writing article on rape cases in India. If you get time, do check my blog, http://intomyinfiniteabyss.wordpress.com/ It saddens me! Most of the news consists of brutal and crude images of those who were stuck in worse predicament and experienced bad incident. Cheers! Hope to read more awesome posts from your side! (:
I will absolutely check out your blog :0) Thank you so much for your heart-felt response.
Nothing recent, but the way Israel petulantly and mindlessly bullies Palestine infuriates me somewhat regularly.
WOW. I guess I should stop becoming so shocked at the world, but every time I see something like this I become so overwhelmed. I live in Newfoundland, Canada. The only kind of terrorists we have are suicidal moose who like to run in front of vehicles during the night. Not much violence on the news, other than car crashes and robberies. I guess I could say that I’m a little sheltered to the violence of the world.
I can’t imagine living in a place where I have to witness these things and have them in my life. I see things like this on the internet, sure, but to know that these things are happening in your very own neighbourhood would be – I imagine – very saddening. I guess over time, some people get used to all the violence around them and shrug their shoulders at it. I don’t think I could ever get used to this. People are ridiculous and it’s only going to get worse from here.
The biggest impact on me just now is the ongoing Trayvon Martin story, seeking truth and justice and fairness! Also, the StopRush movement is very big in my life, to end the sponsorship of such public hate talk! Speaking out for Obamacare is also big on my agenda!
Pingback: The Emperor Penguins New Clothes « disfuctionalunit