Violence breeds violence – the cycle needs to be broken

I have pondered these words for a long time.

I abhor all violence. From anybody to anybody. In my world view, we are all equal, and no-one has the right to inflict injury or death on anyone else. No matter.

However, this is not the time to allow the normalisation of beliefs which run contrary to equality.

This is not the time to normalise a dead man’s views that spread vileness, which endorsed racism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, and the violent oppression of The Other.

Unfortunately, this is what is happening. And there’s a problem with that.

These are beliefs which Trump in the US and Farage in the UK and Netanyahu in Israel, amonsgt others, subscribe to wholeheartedly, beliefs which they spread with their webs of lies, webs into which the less well-informed fall all too readily.

These are beliefs which encourage political violence rather than trying to put a stop to it.

These are beliefs which make genocides acceptable and possible, genocides so many governments are choosing to ignore.

The bottom line is that if we don’t stand up to such beliefs and call them out for the racism and hate speech they are, then we’re lost.

Violence breeds violence.

Hate breeds hate.

Contempt breeds contempt.

And I can’t condone any of this.