Our Sword, Our Story

There are always two sides to every story: the good and the bad, the fact and the fiction, the ugly and uglier, or the great and the awesome. The concept of culture collisions is no exception. Thus far, I have addressed the good side of the story. I tend to focus on the positives in life. But I think it fitting to account for the complexity of this topic. It's time to take a look at the bad.

The word "collision" has a negative connotation. I think of car crashes and football helmets knocking together. Rarely do I think of any good thing that comes about from two things colliding (except when I am blinded by my bias towards the possibilities and promises of international relations). For a brief moment, I will remove my blindfold bias towards the bad.

Over the course of human history, cultures and societies have interacted with one another via trade and commerce, communication and transportation, innovation and advancement, technology and economy. However, one must not disregard our blemishes: war, oppression, exploitation, confinement, degradation. Cultural collisions have brought about these effects, as well.

To illustrate this point, I will use one example. (Yes, there are many examples, but we are all too familiar with reality. We get enough of the bad side from the daily news and media. There is no use beating a dead horse with multiple instances; one will suffice for today.)

In two classes, I recently read about the Indians in times of cultural collision. These collisions were stained in crimson. One class discussed the North American Indians, the other class, South American Indians. The fates of both were similarly grim. Each culture lost. They lost their brothers, sisters, chiefs, and friends. They lost their homes, land, and belongings. They lost their tradition, spirit, and culture. They lost their freedom. They lost their true identity. Never would they be the same again.

A cultural collision is a double edged sword. It can cut the jugular vein of a society. But it can also carve a society into a beautiful, ever-changing piece of multi-dimensional art. It all depends on the one behind the sword. If placed in the wrong hands, it can corrupt. But the sword in good hands yields good.

As cultures collide, we humans must access the situation. We must identify the motives, purpose, possible consequences, impact, and long-term effects. Then shall action be initiated accordingly. Never in the reverse.

The sword is in our hands. Today's collisions are the history pages of tomorrow's books. Let's provide authors with a good story to tell. I would hate to read my grandchildren any story without a happy ending.