So this morning as I was reading through posts on my Facebook newsfeed I came across the following YOUTUBE video of a short-film directed by NANCY SPETSIOTI, a Greek filmmaker. This film apparently went viral in the fall of 2014 although it was released in Greece in 2013. I'm usually a little late when it comes to viral posts and videos as I don't normally keep up with YOUTUBE or Twitter, but had I known about this video I would have included it in my earlier posting on RACISM.
I found this video to be extremely powerful and illustrates at least two of the points I was trying to make in my article. Notice how the child walks into the room and sits down beside the man, who we learn later is her marrow donor, without even a glance. The girl doesn't look at this man or question anything until after her parents shuffle her and themselves around to be away from him. Had it ended there I am sure later she would have asked questions and received answers that could possibly cause her to share the same racial thoughts that her parents obviously have. I don't necessarily think this is a given. Some children do grow up to denounce many of their parent's views as they form their own opinions. However, many more normally grow up in harmony with the customs and beliefs of their families.
The second point it illustrates is the fact that as humans, we are all one race. In the 1800's it would have been impossible for the European thinkers of the time to believe the possibility that one of another race could share the same bone marrow as they do. After all, there had to be something more than just the colour of their skin to make them inferior. The science of the time would be unable to debunk the theory. However, the science and DNA testing of today has proven that as humans, across all humanly defined races, we are 99.9% identical. In fact, a "Caucasian" male can have more common DNA markers with a unknown "Black" male than he might with his own grandchildren. Unfortunately, it seems that people will be more focused on the 0.1% differences rather than the 99.9% commonalities.
Well, "hats off" to Nancy Spetsioti and all the people involved in creating the short film, "JAFAR". Unknowingly you have put my thoughts on film and it was amazing to watch.
I know it's made a difference!