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Letter: We must get past the dehumanizing “us vs. them” mindset

FILE - In this July 3, 2007, file photo, the Statue of Liberty stands at sunset in New York. The Statue of Liberty is at the center of a national debate on immigration after a top Trump administration official offered the president’s own interpretation of the famous inscription that has welcomed immigrants to the United States for more than a century. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

I’m starting to understand how atrocious, horrible violence happens.

When the people who are supposed to be informing us, representing us, influencing us refer to our fellow human beings as “they” or “them” it dehumanizes our fellow man. A nameless, faceless, soulless entity is easy to hate. If we are referred to as the worst of a political group it is no wonder that violence happens.

“They” (Palestinians) are terrorists. “They” (Jews) are what is wrong in society.

Nameless, faceless humans are not the worst of us but people with families, hopes and dreams and if the people who were elected to represent us won’t lead the way to talking about “us” and “we” who will?

I hope “we” can move forward together and stop thinking that because someone doesn’t think like me that makes them a subhuman parasite worthy of whatever horrible atrocity comes to them.

Curtis McIff, Kanab

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