In every part of the world, the disease of segregation and discrimination among one another exist. In past and present, we have seen people talk bad about other people and stereotyped them by their race, ethnic or cultural background and religious belief. Most times, this can be attributed to their upbringing and parental orientation. In a way to add my quota to the fight against discrimination, I will like to use this true story I once experienced to teach humans a lesson on how we see our fellow human.
My name is Rahl and I live in a suburb in India. One Sunday afternoon, I was on my way to visit my friend who stays in the city. When I got to my friend’s neighbourhood, I saw a gathering of people from a distance and as I came closer, I could sense an atmosphere of disbelief and awe from the people gather. I could hear their loud murmuring, so I fell for the persuasion of my heart to take a look at what was going on. Getting there, I saw a dog with half of his body (his lower body part including his two legs) out of the drainage and the remaining part was in the drainage.
At first, I thought the dog was in stuck-in and in need of help, so I was surprised that everyone was looking at it instead of trying to save it. I decided to ask someone and then he told me what was going on. A cat was chasing a rat that run-off into the drainage and it accidentally fell in and got stuck in the drainage, the dog was quick to the rescue because it had observed, the cat chase the rat. Well it was quite amazing to watch and so I stood there for a few more seconds and the dog had successfully pulled the cat out.
It was surprising to me because I always thought dogs and cats hate each other with the way the cartoon series ‘Tom and Jerry’ portrayed Tom’s relationship with Spike. After the incident I found out that the dog and the cat belong to the same person and further inquiry, I understood that the owner raised both the dog and the cat together as friends. When I saw my friend, I told him what I had experienced on my way to his place.
Seeing a dog risk his own safety to save a cat gave me food for thought, that irrespective of our differences either race, gender, cultural or ethnic background or religious view, we should think of ourselves first as human beings and never hesitate to lend a helping hand to each other.
The best place to tackle discrimination and segregation is from the family, if parents can learn to stop discriminating people who may not share the same view as their either political view, religious view, ethnicity etc, then they can as well teach their kids how to tolerate others.