Jade Goody...
As some of the press have reported recently, Jade Goody, has now been told she is dying from cancer. I find this news desperately sad.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m hardly what you call a fan, but she’s a human being and this means that as she stares into the abyss, to a certain degree, so do I. I also have compassion for the fact that she will now almost certainly die a painful young death when she should have been looking at living for another 50 years, at least.
Sadly, compassion is not a universal human trait and I recently saw it reported that 600 ‘people’ joined a Facebook group called ‘I F***ing hate Jade Goody’, (their asterisks, not mine). The group had dozens of people posting comments saying they were glad cancer could kill her and that soon she’d be dead. I think it may now have been taken down, but there are already others in it’s place.
I suppose I shouldn’t really be surprised by how virulent hate is after being alive for 40 something years, but I always am. It upsets me too. sometimes almost to the point of tears.
If I don’t like someone, I try to just ignore them. I don’t and wouldn’t wish for their death and/or conduct a hate campaign. I don’t really understand the mind of someone who does either. I have no touchstone for this kind of stuff, it’s a complete mystery to me in some ways.
I really believe in my heart that hate and more hate never ever solves anything at all.
I can see why people find Jade to be dull and unintelligent and racist and stupid, but to hate her is a fairly simplistic reaction. Gandhi said: "You must be the change you wish to see in the world". To counter someone who’s been slightly racist with hate is to become like them to a degree.
The other thing that I dislike about the hate campaigns that are now being directed at Jade, (apart from the bullying aspect) is that everyone involved has seemingly forgotten that she was not born to be what she is now.
Children and people become what they are because of us.
If a child is told every day that it is beautiful and wonderful, if it’s given a view of a world full of wonder and hope and free of hatred; well, this child will be a fantastic person and a nice human being.
If that same child is born into a world that is full of evil and hatred and poverty, and no one, takes the time or energy to address this; well, that child stands a good chance of ending up having some fairly nasty personality traits.
People become who their are because of the society and culture that surrounds them and that, is ultimately, the responsibility of us all.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m hardly what you call a fan, but she’s a human being and this means that as she stares into the abyss, to a certain degree, so do I. I also have compassion for the fact that she will now almost certainly die a painful young death when she should have been looking at living for another 50 years, at least.
Sadly, compassion is not a universal human trait and I recently saw it reported that 600 ‘people’ joined a Facebook group called ‘I F***ing hate Jade Goody’, (their asterisks, not mine). The group had dozens of people posting comments saying they were glad cancer could kill her and that soon she’d be dead. I think it may now have been taken down, but there are already others in it’s place.
I suppose I shouldn’t really be surprised by how virulent hate is after being alive for 40 something years, but I always am. It upsets me too. sometimes almost to the point of tears.
If I don’t like someone, I try to just ignore them. I don’t and wouldn’t wish for their death and/or conduct a hate campaign. I don’t really understand the mind of someone who does either. I have no touchstone for this kind of stuff, it’s a complete mystery to me in some ways.
I really believe in my heart that hate and more hate never ever solves anything at all.
I can see why people find Jade to be dull and unintelligent and racist and stupid, but to hate her is a fairly simplistic reaction. Gandhi said: "You must be the change you wish to see in the world". To counter someone who’s been slightly racist with hate is to become like them to a degree.
The other thing that I dislike about the hate campaigns that are now being directed at Jade, (apart from the bullying aspect) is that everyone involved has seemingly forgotten that she was not born to be what she is now.
Children and people become what they are because of us.
If a child is told every day that it is beautiful and wonderful, if it’s given a view of a world full of wonder and hope and free of hatred; well, this child will be a fantastic person and a nice human being.
If that same child is born into a world that is full of evil and hatred and poverty, and no one, takes the time or energy to address this; well, that child stands a good chance of ending up having some fairly nasty personality traits.
People become who their are because of the society and culture that surrounds them and that, is ultimately, the responsibility of us all.