People like us

Now that there is a war raging in Europe, many people here in the West seem to have woken up. We see streets that look like our streets being destroyed. Apartments that look like our apartments being bombed. We may know stories of the World Wars, or have seen modern wars on TV, in countries far away. But this time, it’s different.

Now all of a sudden the people looking for shelter are “people like us”. That is, if you are white. It’s funny how empathy works. It’s also sad how empathy works.

There are reports of black people being blocked from crossing the border or even boarding trains. When some draw attention to inequality and racism amidst a war, others say that this is not the right time to talk about discrimination. “It’s war, everyone is suffering equally.”

But discrimination equals injustice. If war is not the right time to call out injustice, when on Earth is?