We Don’t Have Any Boots! Can We Use Some of Yours?

Vulnerable populations are most definitely deserving of help no matter how dire their situations may be. The Roma example in Italy is just one of the many instances of bigotry and hatred that just doesn’t seem to leave this human condition. It has traveled through all cultures, continents and civilizations. In each case through out history, I know that vulnerable populations did not become helpless by their own deeds. I don’t think that they just all of a sudden decide that they want to be placed in at risk situations. In all likelihood, susceptible populations are unjustly discriminated against in several ways leaving them in volatile positions. Therefore it is necessary to help them. It is quite ironic how certain groups can say that others are not deserving of help when the main reason that group needs help is because of the insolence, discrimination and malevolent deeds that the flourishing group does to the vulnerable populace.

Albeit, it is not entirely the faults of individuals who harbor negative views toward others because a lot of the hatred stems from the environment they were raised in. Society can create perspectives of people that, after a point, no longer need to be reinforced and people just adopt them. It takes a potent effort to overcome the dreadful indoctrination of intolerance of others that is instilled in one from birth. When family, friends, government, social pressures, etc tell you something starting from a young age, it is almost impossible to get rid of the prejudices. They may argue that these populations are lazy, not grateful, not fit for society and so on. The phrase people “need to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps” is often touted, implying that anyone can improve their situation by their own efforts without any help from others. However, we fail to recognize that vulnerable populations may have inferior quality boots or even worse not even have any boots at all. How can people help themselves when the odds are stacked against them? More often than not, people who harbor negative views toward vulnerable populations were never in the position of being vulnerable. Experience is the best measure of actuality and if one has never had to face what vulnerable populations have to face, then that makes that individuals opinion of lesser value. Maybe instead of saying “lift yourself up by your own bootstraps” they should try and see how difficult it is to lift yourself by your own bootstraps when you don’t even have any boots.