Wars start every single day, just from differences in religion, culture, or ethnicity. Conflicts, disputes, and even wars can grow from disliking other cultures and religions. Most people know me as just a fun, caring person, and I purposely do not get involved with politics and such. However, with all of the drama and such going around, it’s very hard to ignore it. Everywhere I go on social media, whether it’s Instagram, Snapchat, Youtube, or even just Google, articles and news reports are everywhere about conflicts and our nation’s government. I personally do have an opinion on all of these politics, but I hate to share it and to argue with people about it.
Over the past couple of years, I have visited a number of countries/regions, including Italy, Japan and Poland. These trips haven’t been about vacationing in luxury hotels, but immersing in these countries’ culture and experiencing life in local people’s shoes. My prime example would be Japan. Although the U.S. doesn't have a conflict with Japan, due to the complex history, the countries are not exactly best friends. I’m not talking about trading or the economy, but on a person-to-person scale. When I went there, I was expecting something completely different from what I encountered. Immersing myself in the Japanese culture was an experience like no other. The Shinto religion was very interesting, and I visited many cultural landmarks and temples. I even went to a very traditional tea ceremony. This was by far the best and most unique experience in my life. It opened my eyes, and showed me another side of the story, along with exploration, meeting new friends, and Japanese elders who shared their wisdom with me.
I believe that if countries settled their differences, then it could change many people’s outlook on other countries, cultures, and religions.
We should be acceptant of every person, and shouldn’t judge them based on the place they are from, or the things that they worship. These issues are ones that previously had led us into wars. Learning to accept foreign countries is a big step toward a better world, and we should consider it. While problems like world hunger and such are also a top priority, we should focus towards world peace. Although it may never truly be achieved, we should at least make an attempt to help solve the current problem.
Cuba is one of the current “enemies” with America, and we have almost completely shut down travel and communication with them, contributing to the belief that the political regime that our country does not support makes people evil too. However, when I met with real Cuban people, it completely changed my perspective, and opened my eyes. People shouldn’t be mistreated just because they are from a certain place or religion. Although they may not be in the best circumstances, they clearly make the best of it.
In conclusion, It’s one step forward to better
relationships and global peace if we are acceptant of others and their ethnicity, and the real moral here is to never judge a book by its cover. It’s a very typical moral, but it’s true. You can never tell what a person is like on the inside by their outside. This is something I have read about and experienced personally. Someone that can seem rough on the outside can be one of the sweetest people you have ever met. If you let people open your eyes and share their wisdom, rather than instantly rejecting them, it can help you out, and can help our world out.