Title: Healing Racism, Hatred and Violence Author: Margaret Paul, Ph.D. E-mail: mailto:margaret@innerbonding.com Copyright: © 2003 by Margaret Paul Web Address: http://www.innerbonding.com Word Count: 588 Category: Emotional Healing, Spiritual Growth

HEALING RACISM, HATRED AND VIOLENCE By Margaret Paul, Ph.D.

Those of us who have been on a path of healing wounded aspects of ourselves know that one of characteristics we often suffer from when we are in a wounded, fearful ego state is that we feel either superior or inferior to others. Because wounded part of us is based on core shame beliefs that we are inadequate, flawed, defective, unimportant, and so on, we may feel deeply one-down to others. In order to compensate for these difficult feelings and protect against feeling them, we may deny their existence and move into opposite position: I am better than others.

This position can take many forms: o I am better than others because I have more money. o I am better than others because I am thinner, sexier, prettier or more handsome. o I am better than others because I have a better car. o I am better than women because I am a man, or I am better than men because I am a woman. o I am better than homosexuals because I am heterosexual.

Racism comes into picture when false beliefs about being one-up extend to race and religion: o I am better than Blacks, Asians and Latinos because I am White, or, as is rapidly becoming case, I am better than Whites because I am Black, Asian, or Latino. o I am better than Jews, Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims because I am Christian, or I am better than Christians because I am a Jew, Buddhist, and so on.