The past summer has been tumultuous to say the least. As I travelled outside the United States, I woke up every morning hoping that I would not hear about more violent clashes when I checked out the news. I was, however, frequently disappointed. Ever since the events in Charlottesville in mid-August that resulted in death of a protester, I have observed an explosion in extreme opinions that seem to dominate the public forums. Comments from President Trump failed to lessen the rising tension, instead sparking more fire and fury in an already-heated conversation. After I returned to the US, I felt this tension hovering above my head like a dark cloud.
In these troubled times, we face new challenges. I was happy to hear President Wippman address these challenges in his convocation speech; the speech showed both that our institution is aware of the current political climate and that we have an ability to influence it.
Recent events shocked us because they exposed us to the ugliest aspects of our country, many of which stemmed from a general sentiment of intolerance and hate. Many activists, including Heather Heyer — who lost her life in Charlottesville — stood up to fight against intolerance. Counter-protestors stood against neo-Nazis and white nationalists in the streets, remaining committed despite facing groups that were armed and aggressive.
Although I admire the counter-protesters determination and courage to stand against the tide of hate, I do not agree with those who chose to use violence. I believe that fighting fire with fire is not only ineffective but also dangerous to everyone involved. Some might think it is reasonable to use an aggressive approach when combating the most despicable bigots, as they see it as showing strength and determination. Rallies like these are a form of intimidation, after all, similar to a military parade, and are intended to scare off the opponents with an overwhelming sense of conviction and power.
I found, however, that despite the laudable efforts of activists, the neo-Nazis seemed more energized than scared. In fact, I think the acts of many activists made their “enemies” more hateful and more determined to fight with them when they used violent tactics. If you watch videos of Charlottesville and other violent rallies, you will find that violence starts to escalate whenever people on both sides make physical contact with each other. Usually, at the early stage of a rally, both sides only shout their own slogans, yet whenever one side begins to target the other, verbal violence quickly turns into bloody armed conflicts.
Rallies like these never benefit anybody, because no one is capable of persuading anyone to achieve any form of real progress in pursuit of making society better. Conversation becomes virtually impossible as violence consumes angry participants on both sides and spits out victims covered in bruises.
Standing up to defend what is right is an honorable act, but it should not be done at the cost of human lives. Therefore, I think it is perhaps time we seek a more peaceful option so activists don’t have to face the danger of dying for their beliefs.
During the summer, I had the opportunity to travel to Lhasa, the mecca of Tibetan Buddhism perched on top of the Himalayan mountains. I was amazed by the overwhelming sense of contentment amongst a people with very little material wealth. Additionally, I learned from the unique teachings Buddhism has to offer, many of which grant insight in resolving the predicament in our society.
Buddhist gurus never appear to be troubled by negative emotions, such as hate or anger, because they understand the root cause of these sentiments. From what I learned, the Buddhists view negative emotions as external afflictions, like a flu or a wound infection. When we see others display anger or hate or intolerance, we should be aware that our real enemies are the external factors that afflict those people, instead of the people themselves. When someone is consumed by hate, Buddhists treat them with compassion because they believe these people are slaves to the intense hatred that controls them.
Hatred puts people in shackles, it prevents them from making rational decisions and leads them to commit extreme acts of violence. No one was born to hate, yet everyone’s upbringing determines what they are exposed to. I think we should seek to eliminate the hateful ideologies some people harbor, but not the people themselves.
Even if I am not able to convince someone else to give up their hate or anger, I can still prevent myself from stooping to these negative emotions. When I act in the same way as those I wish to protest against, I fail to stick to my own ideals. When the neo-Nazis walk the streets shouting their sickening war cries, I should stand up to them, but I should not act in the grotesquely violent way they do. Those propagating hate want me to be triggered by their actions, they want me to be consumed by my anger. If I charge at their ranks with iron clubs in my hands, they succeed in their quest to influence me and make me as vengeful as they are. Their ideologies feed on hatred, and by violently reacting to their provocation we make them ever stronger.
When we talk of the murderer who rammed his car into a crowd in a fit of rage, we should be aware that the same rage that consumed him can also consume any of us. I think it is a sad sign of the state of affairs when people show up at rallies bearing arms as if bloodshed has become somewhat of a routine during rallies. Rallies are opportunities for people to express their beliefs, yet they somehow have become opportunities for people to justify senseless violence.
Going forward, I think it is prudent for everyone who cares about the future of our society to slow down a bit and consider their actions. Society should stop giving hate groups the attention they clearly do not deserve and rational people who understand that diversity and tolerance is what makes a nation strong should refrain from acting immaturely. We should hold our ground by refusing to interact with the hate groups, by refusing to allow them to influence us and by condemning their ideologies through peaceful acts.
The key to defeating the rising tide of hate is not directly attacking the hate groups. Instead, a safer, more effective approach should focus on spreading our own message of love, unity and diversity. Let us not allow hate to consume our mind as it did to many in this country, and let us preserve the inner tranquility that enables us to act wisely.
