Fear and violence:

There is nothing like ignorance to create fear and there is nothing like fear to produce distrust and violence.

A good example of this was Northern Ireland in the 1970's. Poor understanding through ignorance put the two religious communities at loggerheads.

To be fair, the word 'ignorance' can be interpreted in different ways and we should generally go for 'lack of understanding' or 'poor education'. And in the case of Northern Ireland 'religion' was appalled at what was done in its name.

But the basic reality of one group of people hating another group because of a poor understanding is true right down the path of history. Aggression apart, neighbours can be the worst of friends because there is a language barrier or physical barrier that made them separate in the first place. Then fear of the unknown produces gossip and falsehoods. As the rumours grow, the problem of trust gets out of hand.

Even within a community other barriers produce enough of a divide to create a split and the predictable loathing that comes with it.

Social mobility as well as physical mobility helps. Mixing communities together reduces fear because we learn that our neighbours are just like us. No green spots or horns on their heads, surprisingly.

We know apartheid started as a (poor) solution and ended up being the problem. South Africa is a good example of reduced fear and mistrust due to reconciliation.

Britain had a reputation for being fair, for different cultures to mix easily. Why was this? Well it's a small country and it's on the edge of Europe. Plus Great Britain encouraged free speech. You may not like to hear the extremes that free speech permits but it allows all views, good or bad, to be aired and argued about. Those who listen become broad minded, even if they retain their own culture and identity.

Aspirations need to be vocalised. A society can only move forwards with free discussion. Restricted freedoms of speech can only produce a stagnant, impotent media and a frustrated population. You will never achieve thought control, it will only create resentment. But you can generate a consensus with public discussion of ideas. That is education.

Personal freedom produces anarchy not society. Society's rights need to be considered alongside personal rights. Why? Because only with a fair a stable society can we encourage and enjoy our personal freedoms.

What is the underlying principle that we can conclude from all this? Well trying to exclude friction from society by law produces a short term fix that results in longer term ignorance. Lost knowledge or understanding brings us right back to fear.

The opposite of exclusion is inclusion. By including differences in our behaviour and ideas we build understanding and reduce fear. Traditions, beliefs, habits, language and food are all areas that we find fascinating when we visit other cultures, so why not include them in our own?

Look at our laws. We try to do the right thing but the Law of Unintended Consequence kicks in and we suddenly find that the law is being used for a different purpose. Recently, laws on religious tolerance are being turned into persecution.

Why not have Divali and Christmas on the calendar? We all love fireworks, gifts and tradition. If one party wants to feel included, don't do it at the expense of another party.

There are laws we need. No murder, no stealing, pay your bills. But there are laws that stifle society and build resentment and frustration. Don't build up a head of steam in the first place. Keep the lid off and celebrate differences. Inclusion, not exclusion.

Rod Cleasby.
Editor@The Choice.tv

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