Peter-Vincent Schuld

Our society has associations of frustrated and know-it-all individuals.
Equipped with a big mouth with the social relevance of a mayfly and the mind an amoeba.

If you don’t have an opinion of your own, you’ll be talked into one. Those who are a little less strong in their shoes can expect so much pounding on their mind, whether present or not, that a certain opinion will be rammed into it.

Anyone who forms an opposing opinion on the basis of (historical) facts against the oppression of a collectively imposed opinion and comes straight ahead of it tends to be ostracized from “right-thinking” society. Add to that the role of (social) media and the chaos is complete.

In this piece I make a case for the free thinkers who do not allow themselves to be controlled.

“Racism”; in the eyes of a querulant group, Zwarte Piet is a racist exponent of the slavery past.
Do you really think this ever crossed my mind?
This while I really do have some historical knowledge and historical awareness.
Black-painted people who make children happy and laugh.
It is hard to imagine a better example of how to combat the prejudices of people with dark skin.
Why polarize unnecessarily?
In favor of what?
Who is being serviced here?

Slavery has moved from the physical exertion on the plantations abroad to the heads, living rooms, schools, universities and office buildings.

Slavishly following political correctness without questioning it, often out of fear of what others think or think.

This Politically Correct Inquisition, which I will refer to as the PCI, makes me sick to my stomach. The definition of the PCI: “An organic connection of individuals, institutions and protest movements, whether or not operating independently, which, by exerting pressure on the independent mind, force people in a totalitarian way to think in a uniform way in society and also enforce this, among other things, but not exclusively through abuse of rights”.

I damn it to slavishly follow a thought or an ideology that I don’t agree with. I do not want to be unfairly accused of being xenophobic when I dare to say in good conscience that this is not the case. You can’t do it if you’ve traveled all over the world and hardly got into trouble.

A dissenting opinion or vision, however substantive and factual it may be, is not infrequently slaughtered by the power of numbers times noisiness. This is a dangerous development and you will encounter it on both the left and the right flanks of our society.

Political correctness has become a dogma. By definition, a dogma has an extremely totalitarian character and cannot be questioned. After all, if you question a dogma, the dogma automatically loses its supposed authority. Is this the only dogma in our society?
No, if only it were true. The picture that is painted that politicians from established parties are only concerned with maintaining themselves is also a dogma that makes no sense.

Both the rejection of the “political elite” and the ignoring of feelings of discontent within society are invariably accompanied by now well-known mantras. I hardly notice anything innovative that actually contributes to the substantive improvement of society. We will really have to get out of our compartmentalized boxes whose locks are proverbially rusted.

Society needs enlightenment. New thinkers of the calibre of Machiavelli, Voltaire and Montesquieu.

I think again of that one cheerful African boy in Benin who, free from prejudices and learned false mores, greeted me uninhibited and warmly in his environment, his society. His simplicity and kindness, without anything being taught or imposed on him. This little guy should be an example for everyone. At least for me, it is. Do you really think that this little guy and I even stopped for a fraction of a second to think about our different skin colors?

I ended up in the little guy’s village. I was warmly welcomed and invited inside. I instinctively left my bag with cameras and computer outside where a group of young people immediately stood around it to protect the bag. I showed respect and trust, I received warmth and immeasurable kindness in return. I sincerely gave warmth and all my kindness and received respect without asking for it.
You don’t need imposed or pounded mantras for that.

I have travelled quite a bit on the African continent. Never, ever has the color of my skin once been the subject of discussion or unkindness. However, the Africans and I joked endlessly about each other’s differences. If you think I can make crude jokes, well my African friends could do it too, and it made me laugh heartily.
You shouldn’t take yourself too seriously and especially don’t take that ego as baggage.
In the end, my hosts thought I was a white man with an African heart.
I could relate perfectly to that and I couldn’t wish for a greater compliment.