JessicaSchoenfeld

EnglissSTACC100section0853
11/30/14
Isthereamonsterinsideallofus?
Somebelievethatviolenceisanaturalinstinctinsideallofus.Throughout
historywehaveexperiencedmanywars,extremeviolence,andhatefulactsuponothers.
Whenyoulearnoftheatrocitiesthathumansarecapableofallaroundtheworldyoucan
understandwhysomeonewouldcometothisconclusion.Theyalsosayitiseasiertosee
thenegativethingsthathappeninlifeandhardertorememberthegood.Ifwelookalittle
closerIthinkyouwillfindthatviolenceisnotageneticdispositionbutinsteadalearned
characteristicpasseddowntousfromourfamiliesandoursurroundings.
Itiseasiertobelievethatviolenceisnaturallyinsideallofusthenitistotake
responsibilitiesforthehorriblethingshumanshavedone.Wewouldratherbeableto
blamethemistakeswehavemadeonhumannatureinsteadoftakingownershipofthem.
Catholicslivebytherulesofconfession,whereweareexpectedtosinandthenreturn
tochurchtobeforgiven.Bydoingso,theyarecleansedandabsolvedoftheirsinsonly
expectingtorepeatthewholeprocessoveragain.Theybelievethatwehavelittle
controlofoursinfulnatureandareexpectedtosin,thereforewearenotatfaultforwhat
wehavedone.Practiceslikethesethatgivehumansthemisconceptionsthattheydonot
havecontrolovertheiractionsandareexpectedtomakebadchoicesorevenbeviolent.
Itfurtherallowsustofeelthatwearenotresponsibleforwhatwedoorwhatwehave
done.

Everyoneisbornintoasocietythatpassesdownsomeformofoldinherited
beliefsandmisconceptionsaboutthedifferencebetweenraces.Irememberbeingtoldby
myowngrandmathatblackpeoplewheredescendantsofCainandtheirblackskinisthe
markGodgavethemsoeveryonewouldknow.Thisishowaprejudiceideacanbe
passeddownorinheritedfromonegenerationtothenextgenerationcontinuingthesame
inappropriatebeliefsystem.Idonotremembereverhatingblackpeoplebecauseofthe
comment,butitstillstuckwithme.LuckilyIwassmarterthentofallforheroldbelief
systemanddecidedtomakeupmyownopinionsinlife.Whetheritisobvioustousor
not,weallhavesomedeep,rootedformofprejudiceideathatwasgiventousalongtime
ago.Itisideaslikethisthatleadpeopletofeelingsuperioroveranotherraceandcan
eventuallyleadtoviolence.
Ifyoulookoverhistorycloselyyouwillfindthatwehavemoretimesofpeace
thenofwar.InAlfieKohnspaperAreHumansInnatelyAggressive?wefindthatIt
isdifficulttoreconcileatheoryofinnatehumanaggressivenesswiththesimplefactthat
mostpeoplearoundusseemquitepeaceful.Therearemanygroupsofpeaceful
communitiesoutintheworldwhodonotexperienceviolence.Moreoftenthisisfoundin
communitiesthatlivecloserwithnature.Iwasbornintoacommunitysuchasthis,a
MolokanChristianhome,andIwasraisedwithaveryparticularsetofbeliefsandethics.
Molokansareknownfortheiragriculturalandcattleraisingskillsaswellasforbeinga
peacefulpeople.Oneoftherulesandethicsthattheylivebyisthoughshallnotkill,
theydonotbelieveinkillinganotherhuman,ever,foranyreason.Therefore,my
grandfatheralongwithmanyotherMolokanmenduringWorldWarII,wenttojailasa

consciencesobjectorinsteadofbeingdrafted.Growingupwiththisknowledgeand
belief,Ialwayswonderedwhatwouldhappenifeveryonehaddonethesame.Wouldwe
havestillhadawarorwouldpeaceensue?
InFreedomWriterswehearfrommanydifferentdiarersandhowtheywere
raisedinaviolentcommunityandhadnochoicebuttolearntofightback.TheLatino
andAsiangangswithintheircitiesandschoolshadbeenfightingoverterritoryforyears
andthesepoorkidswherethrownsmackintothemiddleofawartheydidnotstart.
Thesepoorteenshavetomakeadecisiontojoininthewarorbekilledregardless.Ifyou
lookAsianorLatinoyouareinvolved!TherearemanydifferententriesbutinDiary3we
hearfromayoungmanonprobationandhowhedescribesthetransitionfromjailto
schoolinthecity;
MyP.O.hasntrealizedyetthattheschoolsarejustlikethecityandthecityis
justlikeaprison.Allofthemaredividedintoseparatesections,dependingonthe
race.Onthestreets,youkickitindifferenthoods,dependingonyourrace,or
whereyourefrom.Andatschoolweseparateourselvesfrompeoplewhoare
differentfromus.Thatsjustthewayitis,andweallrespectthat.
Wheretheseteensjustbornwiththeseprejudicesordidtheylearnthemfromtheir
community?Wheretheybornjustautomaticallyhatinganotherraceordidsomeone
teachthemtohate?Ifthesesamekidsweregivenarealchoicetolivepeacefullyorina
gangneighborhoodIhighlydoubttheywouldchoosetoliveinviolence.
InBaldwinsarticleAstrangerinthevillage,wehearaboutasmallvillagein
Swedenthathasneverseenablackmanbeforeandhasnoexternalinfluencesfromthe

outsideworld.Therewasnomovietheater,television,internetorevenpersonalvehicles
inthissmalltownof600toinfluencethem.Yetwhenthevillagersencounterablack
manforthefirsttimetheyhaveprejudicefeelingsandreactionstohim.Thechildren
showcuriosityandtreathimasifhewasnthumanandinsteadheistreatedasaliving
wonder.Itturnsoutthatthetownholdsayearlychurchcharityandacarnivalwhere
theypaintachildtolooklikeablackchildandhavethemparadearoundcollecting
moneytosendtothemissionariestobuyanAfricansoulandconvertthemto
Christianity.Thisoneacthastaughtthepeopleofthevillagethattheblackpersonssoul
needssalvationandthatthewhiteshavetosavethem.Itmakesabalckpersonhaveless
worthandbeseenasnaturallyevil,needingsalvation.Thiswasnotlearnedbyhuman
naturebutinsteadbyoneofthepracticespasseddownbythechurch.Baldwinstates,
Joyceisrightabouthistorybeinganightmarebutitmaybethenightmarefromwhich
noonecanawaken.Peoplearetrappedinhistoryandhistoryistrappedinthem.Itis
easytobeunawareofthemanylayersofhate,violence,andracismthatarepresent
insideeachandeveryoneofus!Notnaturallybutfromourexperiencesandinfluencesin
ourlifes.
Anyanimalifpushedintoitwillfightforsurvival,butoutsideofsurvivalorfood
huntingitisraretofindananimalspeciesthatisviolentwithoutacause.Humansarethe
same.Wewouldneversignupforawarwithoutfirstbeingtoldweneedto.Through
propagandaandmassmediawearescaredintodefendingourcountryanddefendingthe
freedomofourpeople.Idoubtyouwouldbeabletorecruitmanysoldiersbysimply
advertisingletsbeviolentandgetawaywithitorLetsgokillabunchofpeopleand

destroytheircountry.Oursoldiersareriskingtheirlivesforwhattheybelieveinandnot
becausetheylikebeingviolent.Itsthepoliticsandreligionsthatpushhumansinto
violenceandnothumannature.IhavealwayssaidIsupportthetroopswhoareonly
tryingtoprotectus,butIdonotsupportthepowersthattellthemwhattodo!Their
motivesarerarelypureofheart!
Justasalanguageaccentispasseddown,howwereacttoandseeourworldcan
beinfluencedthesame.Wemimictheworldaroundusanditmoldsusintothepeople
weare.Ifgivenachoice,Ithinkhumanswouldalwayschoosepeace,butunfortunatelyif
youwhereraisedinaviolentcommunityyouaremorelikelytofeelthatviolenceis
natural.Ifallyouhaveeverknownwasviolencethenyouareprogrammedtorespond
violentlyanditwouldfeelnaturaltoyou.Ifviolencewasnaturalthenallhumanswould
beviolentandnotjusttheoneswhohaveexperiencedviolencethemselves.
InthecitythatIliveinmyfamilyandIaretheminorityandmychildrendoget
pickedon.MyhusbandandIhadtodecidetokeeptheminschoolinthisdistrictor
transferthemwheretherearemorewhites.Wechosetokeeptheminthelocaldistrict
knowingasaminoritytheywillbemorepronetolearningthelessonofhumility.Ifwe
weretotakethemtoanareathattheyarepartofthemajority,theymaygetasuperiority
complexinstead.Ifeelasuperioritycomplexismoreliketosuppresssomeoneto
maintaintheirstatus.Weneedlessofthatandmorehumilityandneutralpeopleonthe
planet.
Mychildrenhavebeenbroughtupinahomethatdoesnotrecognizeracial
boundaries.Ihadconfirmationofthiswhenmysonatage8hadnoideaaboutthe

differencebetweenhisrace,hisChinesestepgrandma,andhisMexicanclassmates.
WhenhefoundouthisgrandmawasChinesehewasblownaway!Grantedsheis
AmericanChinese,butbothherparentswhereChinesesosheisfullblooded,slanted
eyesandall.Yetheneversawadifferencebetweenherandanyoneelseforthatmatter.
ThenIaskedhimifhehadanyotherwhitekidsinhisclass,whichIknewhedidnot,
herespondedwithTons!Juan,Jose,Julio....Iwassoexcitedthatmysonclearlyhad
noideaaboutthedifferencebetweenwhiteandMexican.ThismademefeelthatIhave
raisedhimtherightway!Icanonlyhopethatonedayallchildrenwillhavethisoutlook.
Maybethenwecantrulyexperiencemorepeaceandlessviolenceprovingtoourselves
thatviolenceisnotnatural!