It's no secret that we live in a very divided atmosphere. This, the fueled tribalism we partake of, has began to not only label people as members of a creed, but to deem them irredeemable, not worth fixing, so to speak.
What are we saying we utter those words? Have we truly given deep thought to the implications? Does it mean that a mistake cannot be corrected? Does it mean that someone can't outgrow their current position? Does it mean that if someone is wrong, that person must be wrong because they are evil?
You see, these are fair questions, and we don't truly think about them enough in my opinion. We have a system, a judicial system, that is not interested in redeeming anyone, just punishing those who've made mistakes. On top of that laws are not always ethical, as we know, and mistakes and punishments don't work the same for those who belong to the special club, the elites.
I submit to you that there's just very rare cases, and I do mean rare when referenced against the general population, where someone is actually irredeemable. A mass murderer is a hyperbolic example, but the point I'm trying to make is that if you believe there are thousands of people in your hometown who are idiots, horrible, or evil, then I think you've fallen victim to the othering propaganda.
If we are honest and we think about our own life's journey, the beliefs we once held and grew out of, the positions we spoused and argued for in public that now seem either ridiculous or immature, we would clearly see that we are always changing. I was not born believing in equality, I was taught to embrace it, and admitting so does not make me an ex-villain.
Morality, humans rights, and all that the topic encompasses, has always been fluid. What we call human rights today is vastly different from notions that just a couple of generations ago where believed to be common sense.
I guess this short post is just an invitation for thought. If you think there is such thing as irredeemable people, then maybe you've not considered that some see you in the same way, and that a bridge to heal that divide won't just appear if we get angry enough.
MenO