Do We Have to Teach Coexistence? | Teen Ink

Do We Have to Teach Coexistence?

December 8, 2013
By BaltimoreLewis-Lawrence BRONZE, San Jose, California
BaltimoreLewis-Lawrence BRONZE, San Jose, California
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

Favorite Quote:
Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it. ~J.K. Rowling, "The Parting of the Ways,"


Is a problem that’s been around since medieval times still far away from any solution? Coexisting is to exist in mutual tolerance despite different ideologies or interests. In society today it seems as though groups have a personal belief against another group. We are embracing a belief that has been around since almost the beginning of time and has caused thousands of years of atrocities and war. The lack of coexistence in the world has caused The Crusades, the Holocaust, and other infamous atrocities. When will society learn? Coexistence is something everyone needs to function properly. Without coexistence, our country, and possibly the entire world, would be split into small sects of people who have a personal resentment against everyone. A belief that is centered around,”If you don’t agree with me, we will wage war against you and your group.” A world destroyed by war. People don’t have to necessarily agree with the ideals and beliefs of these groups, but respect them and understand them is the least. If anyone was taught about respect, you were taught to respect everyone even if they are different from you. These needed to be taught when we were four or five year olds, not when we are thirty and forty something years olds. If someone doesn’t know how to live with people who believe other things than him/her, they need to be taught it again, even though they should know it already. And some in society have tried to bring coexistence into light. A Cheerios® commercial had a white woman and African-American man being married and parents of a young daughter. This commercial brought a lot of people who opposed interracial marriage out and started protesting said commercial. Whether or not it broke any religious beliefs or not, I am not aware, but hey had to deal with the commercial anyway. While we should not force feed the idea of coexistence down people’s throat, if people are reluctant to acknowledge it, they need to be taught it whether or not they like it. That is the way society works. The acceptable way or the social highway.


The author's comments:
After thinking one night, this idea came to me and was inspired by the unfortunate passing of Nelson Mandela, who fought against apartheid and promoted coexistence.

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