Taking Life For Granted

http://www.aamovement.net/news/2007/charania.html

How would you feel if one day government officials came into your home and took you away from your family, your friends and everything else you hold dear in this country because you were deemed unworthy of being protected from the dangers of your home country? This may seem like an unrealistic characterization; however, what we do not realize is that this scenario is common occurrence for many families throughout the US, as can be seen through the Charania family in the article posted above.

The problem in society is that we as Americans become so captivated in our own selves and the lives we lead that we may not often take the time to consider how devastating it is to be pried away from the consistency of one's day and threatened to be thrown back into a country where your own safety and well-being is in great danger. Throughout the world, there are many instances of cultural clashes in which individuals of a cultural minority are ridiculed, threatened, and attacked only on the grounds that their cultural affiliation does not align with that of the cultural majority within a designated area. Race, ethnicity, and religious affiliation are just a few of the areas in which cultural conflict stems from. To live a life where you are constantly in danger only because you are culturally different is truly a travesty and thus, many families seek asylum to escape such dangers so that they may attain a level of security and comfort that every human being is entitled to. Even after being in America for so long and having established a solid life here, the Charania family (who are of Indian descent) may lose it all just because their attorneys did not file their asylum papers within the proper period of time.

Rather than focusing on the flaws of the American legal system (this coming from a law school hopeful), the main basis of this entry is, as characterized earlier, the unfortunate reality that we take the lives that we have in America for granted compared to those who are suffering in many parts of Asia due to a cultural clash. Most of us can relate to the fact that our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and so forth strived grealty so that their future descendants could have a better life free from persecution due to their cultural identity, an identity that any individual has a right to be proud of and hold dearly. To seek a better life in a new nation known for treating all individuals with equality is a dream for many (a dream that many at this moment really wish they could experience). Every human being deserves peace and equality, but the unfortunate reality is that this idea is far from realistic. It is hard to even imagine how our lives would be if we were stripped of everything we loved in the world (family, friends, etc) and thrown back to a country where our only memories of it were ones of horror and fear. I hope that the Charania family will be taken care of and be able to resume their lives in America, because the dangers that are posed for being a cultural minority in a place of great cultural tension is unbearable to even think about.

Every so often, take the time to realize how fortunate you are to have the opportunities that are given to you, as well as the joy of being with your family and friends: a life that many can only dream of and even if they catch a glimpse of it, may be in danger of one day being deprived of it if the US government feels that they are no longer protected under their jurisdiction.