Right adn Wrong, Good and Bad are based on perception

Right and Wrong, Good and Bad are based on perception

Migrating to the United States was extremely difficult, I had to adapt to a new environment, new language, and a different way of life. Having to conform to a new society made the next few years challenging. Being ostracized by several groups of the student body because of my accent and ethnicity did not make conforming any easier. Regardless I made new friends and came to love and cherish this country, which offers an endless amount of possibilities, hope, and a chance to climb the stairway of life; from sharing a room with three siblings to having my own, from no cable to having cable and a video game system. I realized anything was possible if I work hard enough for it. When I received the news that my brothers were coming to live with side me in this country I was excited. Would they like it I thought to myself, of course how could they not, with its countless channels, the Burger Kings and Mc Donald, and the diversity in ethnicity. To my surprise I was wrong…

As I sat and listened to my brother’s countless discourses on the wrongs that America did, such as the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Listening to him, sprung new ideas and beliefs into my mind, “Is he right for saying that the tragedy of 911 is one of America’s due payments for what they did in the past?” It’s around that period that my empathizing skills bloomed, I began imagining and putting myself in the shoes of civilians of Hiroshima, to be eating dinner and suddenly BOOM, your family, your house, and your friends, all gone. I can understand why someone would dislike, even despise America. So many ideas were clashing in my mind; Like God, war, religions, beliefs, right and wrong, good and bad, they themselves were having a battle in my mind.

What survived through this battle is the belief, my belief, that right and wrong, good and bad; all are based on perception and experience. I came to understand why to some groups of people American’s are considered to be “evil” and why to others it’s considered a haven, a chance to start a new life with better opportunities. With the events of 9/11 the term “terrorist” has been focused mainly on the people from the Middle East, but my new found belief allowed me to also see why to them, the people of the Middle East, Americans are terrorists. Bringing their massive and powerful army, destroying what some of them cherished and loved.

This new found belief to me explained a whole lot, thus I embraced it even more, it also allow my thought process and opinions to be less bias. Now whenever my brother would bash the U.S. I defend and offer possible reasons as to why they engage in the activities that they do, whether they are right or wrong.