Teaching young people is my life. You are often rewarded with nuggets of inspirational thought... but there is the alternative side. On occaision you are shocked by the eternal lack of empathy found in some (and I emphasise some here) young people today.
Recently i've been shocked by a topic taught about Religion and Prejudice aimed at 15 year olds. Some, agreeably were shocked by images I displayed using the word Ni**** whilst others wern't bothered. Some bowed their heads whilst seeing a baby jew amongst the others in a mass grave. Yet, there wer e others who failed to be humbled, failed to be moved by the cruelty humanity inflicts on fellow mankind.
They were asked what can change this from happening and a response I received was; "Nothing Miss". Honestly. A separate class I asked decided that over the last 50 years something has been done to reduce the amount of prejudice present in the world, yet the amount of prejudice they themselves have is quite outstanding. I do it, they do it... and I can bet anything you do it. Can prejudice ever be exterminated? I actually do not think so, everyone is different and everyone is affected by human nature. We are bound to judge others against our ideals - it follows on from the question what is "normal"? There is no normal, it's dependant on your own views.
Prejudice should, then, be curbed. Surely? But where do we draw the line. The holocaust is the extreem version of prejudice - judgeing someone to the extent that you wish them dead. I visited Auschwitz at the young age of 16. It was an increadibly humbling experience I must say, one which I feel everyone could learn from... for me the entrance gives more meaning than anything:
Arbeit Macht Frei - Work Makes you FreeReally? Then lets get to work... lets make everyone free - free to live, free to be happy and free to have opinion. I feel in response to this I should re-read Orwells 1984 (for the umpteenth time)... expect a blog on it soon.
