The Impact of Human Movement on Global Diversity
The world is diverse from every viewpoint, as evidenced by human demographics, ideological divisions, and means of subsistence, as well as geographical origins. Human progress has allowed individuals to settle in certain locations, giving them individuality. During the Age of Discovery and Renaissance, people moved from one continent to another as part of the evolution of humanity. Humans moved over the world for the sake of discovery and the pursuit of economic and political domination due to necessity, changing environmental circumstances, and curiosity. The advancement in marine technology allowed people to sail across oceans into various continents. The movement of people led to settlement of people of diverse races, ethnicities and ideological differences across the globe. While slavery and wars contributed to the movement and settlement of people away from their original locations, movements in contemporary society has resulted from the search for better education, employment opportunities, business ventures and intermarriages. In the current world, no single country is made of a one tribe, ethnicity or people with one social, economic or political orientation. Countries are made of people from different nations, races, ethnicities, religions and ideological backgrounds.
The Role of Political Ideologies in Ethnic Tensions
Race and ethnicity has been a controversial topic as far as politics is concerned. The political systems across the globe define the systems of leadership and power. Politicians are mandated with a responsibility to lead all people in the country despite any demographic or ideological difference. Divisions in the political ideologies have brought suffering to humanity in some instances. Statements made by politicians can lead to ethnic and racial tensions, intolerance and violence. In the United States of America, some political comments have led to ethnic and racial stereotyping which negates social progress. There is dire need to assess the implications of political communications on the people of United States of America made by various political figures.
The Importance of Political Communications on Social Progress
Political figures include the elected office bearers, former leaders and candidates for political offices. Politicians have followers thus rendering their political communications on societal affairs quite sensitive to the stability of the nation where diversity is embedded in all contexts. United States of America has realized great steps as far as social progress is concerned. People are able to realize their human potential in America due to a relatively enabling environment that creates a chance for everyone to realize success. The political arena in the United States of America is also representing a great level of achievement where democracy and respect for the fundamental human rights is being highly embraced. However, controversy has been characterizing the laws, executive orders, legislative bills, party platforms, press releases and campaign advertisements of the United States politicians and ruling regimes. The American people and the globe at large are highly sensitive to racially coded appeals, language or stereotyping made by influential figures in the society including politicians. On June 5, 2013 the United States of America current president Donald J. Trump made remarks that sparked outrage due to the racial and ethnic inclination of the remarks made through his official twitter handle. ‘Sadly, the overwhelming amount of violent crimes in our major cities is committed by blacks and Hispanics- a to tough subject- must be discussed’ read the tweet (Times, 2016). During the given time, Donald J. trump was a prospected Republican Party candidate for the United States of America presidency to take over from Barrack Obama who was winding up the second term of his presidency. The fact that Donald J. trump had declared his political interests renders the statement a political communication aimed at the American population. While the social media can be perceived as an informal communication set-up, the contemporary society has embraced social media as a credible source of information. Donald J. Trump did not express any denial of the twitter communication thus representing a stand on his political opinion on the African American and the Hispanic communities who are citizens and immigrants in the United States of America.
The Consequences of Racially and Ethnically Inclined Political Communication
The language and the perspective taken in the political communication made by Trump elicit racial stereotyping and intolerance. The criminal justice system in the United States of America has not established exclusivity in the association of the African American and the Hispanic community and violent crime in major cities. The use of the term ‘blacks’ to refer to the Africans and the African American communities in the united states of America is racial. The human rights activists over decades have condemned the use of blacks to refer to the African American people as the term is a representation of the difference in the skin color of the people which is the basis of racism on earth. The use of Hispanics is an ethnic connotation to refer to the people of South American origin and by greater extends the Mexicans. Donald J. trump’s statement reinforces the racial and ethnic stereotype associating the Hispanics and the African Americans in the United States of America with violent crime. Violent crimes include assault, burglary, armed robbery, house-breaking and murder which is quite rampant in the United States of America. Crime is high in the major cities of the United States; however, crime is universal in terms of racial and ethnic prevalence. Racial propositions are seen as a hurdle towards attaining social progress and the realization of equality and equity on earth. The fight against ethnic and racial discrimination has been the cause of movements including the ‘Black lives Matter’ movements that have been staged in the United States of America over time (Grofman, & Davidson, 1992).
The Need for National Unity and Inclusivity
The use of ethnically and racially inclined political communications are bound to bring forth social and political intolerance that culminates into violence and a derail towards attaining universal social progress. There is need to attain national unity at all levels in the political systems. Donald J. Trump made sensitive communications during a period of political campaign. Such statements could divide the country into ethnic and racial fronts. The settlement set-ups in the United States of America are made up of mixed races and ethnicities (Taylor, et al., 2016). It is paramount that tolerance is called upon to ensure harmonious co-existence. The African American communities and the Hispanics in the United States of America are hugely regarded as immigrants but the fact that they are legally American citizens gives them equal rights with the Native Americans. Ethnic and racial profiling leads to injustices which include segregation in education systems and employment. Racial and ethnic political statements create feelings of exclusion among minority groups in countries. Civil unrests as witnessed in protests and protests due to ethnic and racial exclusion in political representation and national development hamper social economic development. Extreme political statement can trigger ethnic clashes in some instances. Controversies in the voting mechanism of minority groups which include voter apathy is as a result of the divisive political statements. Democratic nations are built on the tenet of the supremacy of the people. The power of the state rests with the people who exercise it through voting and referendums. The laws of the land should be able to curb political practices that tend to undermine the constitutional provisions that accord people power. Demeaning and divisive political communication strips the minority people their supremacy power (Grofman, & Davidson, 1992).
Conclusion
Politicians have a responsibility to unite the citizens of the country despite the political divide they are supporting. Despite the racial and ethnic differences, the politicians ought to campaign from all people to ensure an all-inclusive government. Despite the racial and the ethnic stereotyping which might exist in the general public, the use and assertion of the stereotype by political figures tends to legitimize the social stereotyping. The use of divisive, racially and ethnically inclined political communications has social and political implications that upset social progress. United States of America is among the countries with the most mature democracies on earth. The use of statements that advocate racial and ethnic stereotyping by political figures from the countries purported as role models by the rest of the world is a set-back in the fight for democracy and respect for human dignity. Politics form an integral part in the realization of social progress. It is upon leaders to embrace social capacity building and embrace diversity to sustain national development and unity.
References
Grofman, B., & Davidson, C. (1992). Controversies in minority voting: the voting rights act in perspective. Washington, D.C: Brookings Institution. 1992
Taylor, K.-Y., Ellis, M., & Tantor Media. (2016). From #BlackLivesMatter to Black liberation. Old Saybrook, Conn: Tantor Media. 2016
Time (Newspaper). 2016. Here are All the Times Donald Trump Insulted Mexico. Retrieved on November 28, 2017. http://time.com/4473972/donald-trump-mexico-meeting-insult/
