The recent hate crime in Huntsville is a good reminder that we can do better

If what happened to the self-described family of South Asian descent in Huntsville recently wasn’t enough for you to say “I’ve had enough,” then you are probably part of the problem.

The fact that an innocent family who was minding their own business while visiting our town could be so blatantly violated by ignorant thugs is a symptom of the community’s overall issues.

I immediately wondered if these individuals’ actually live in Huntsville or even Muskoka at all (as was a question also brought up by those commenting on a related Doppler article).

Whatever the case, these dummies are far from the majority in almost any community, and I hope they answer for their actions in one form or another. Spitting on and hurling racial slurs at people minding their own business is not acceptable in any way, shape or form.

The worst part is in my mind, I immediately thought: it could have been much worse, they were lucky that was all that happened. Which is a sad thought in and of itself – thinking that people who were disrespected in such a callous manner should be grateful that’s all it was.

SIDENOTE: They should be upset and hurt. However, I don’t feel we as a “community” should be ashamed of the actions of a few individuals. For a small Ontario town, as a whole, we are very accepting and welcoming community that has continued to cultures and ethnicities from far and wide lead fruitful and peaceful lives here.

I do find it interesting that no one has asked why this happened? What could possibly have possessed these individuals to do this to an innocent family?

I feel it all leads back to a society intent on destroying itself through tribalism that is being pushed by extremists at every turn. And it’s something myself – and other open-minded, moderate thinkers – have been warning about for years.

Wake-up call

This incident in Huntsville should be a wake-up call to all those so-called progressive ideologues who pretend to care about what’s happening in the world, but really are simply reactive when their emotional instability is triggered.

It’s okay though as you’re all being spoon fed garbage from every angle of the legacy media, government agencies and politicians, special interest groups from every facet of society, and then reinforcing those ideas amongst your friends.

It seems today that every single person has a special interest group to join that quells all free speech, doesn’t like questions or ideas that challenge their beliefs, or even promotes un-proven ideas as facts against another group . . . it’s all a recipe for disaster.

And it leads to incidents like what happened the other day in Huntsville: a group of underinformed people, likely feeling threatened and ignored by the government and media of the day, taking out their frustrations on an innocent family and not the power-brokers who deserve their disgust.

This hateful behaviour in our community and indeed around the globe is what those in power want to see happening: a divided humanity is an easily-controlled humanity.

The divisive nature of power-hungry royalty and religious leaders is what led to a tribal instincts of kill or be killed, fear the others, and it’s us versus everybody. It all comes from a divide and conquer mentality that has been passed down through the generations.

We can do better

But, it doesn’t have to be this way. It’s time to educate ourselves and step out of our comfort zones to appreciate the world and the good people within it.

We’re all human beings who have descended in one form or another from early tribes based on the single continent that once was.

Sure there are some differing myths and stories surrounding how early man came to be and what led us to be what we are today, but the common idea (often backed by scientific research) that we share ancestors from thousands of years ago is rampant throughout various cultural lore.

That alone should make us a little less hateful and a little more open to others. We may not all be related, but we were at least friends back in the day.

It’s with this mentality I try to live my life. Sure, we cheer for and play for different sports teams, but can have a laugh and a hug when the game is done. Sure we may eat different food or like different music, but we can appreciate each other’s tastes and even learn to like a dish or song (or a few) when being open to it.

The truth is most of us just want to have a happy life with a good job, good family, good friends, and good neighbours. This is true no matter what culture you are from. The sooner we all realize that and keep that in mind, the better off the world will be.

For the people who did this and others that think like them: I hope you find a way to open your minds and become more open and compassionate towards those from different backgrounds.

Once you do you find we all have much more in common than the legacy media, power hungry governments, cult-like religious sects, and divisive interest groups would lead you to believe.

We are all human beings, and it’s time to start acting as such.