There is a story that has been repeating itself for centuries, each time dressed in new words and new faces, a narrative that the masses have always found easy to believe.
A distorted tale that reassures us that we are not the problem, that our misfortunes do not stem from us or from those who govern us, but are always the fault of the “others”—the foreigners, those who love differently, those with the “wrong” skin color, and those living on the margins. A “them” from which we must defend ourselves. And so, immigrants become all criminals and job thieves, and LGBTQ+ people an offense to morality and family.
This narrative resurfaces whenever the system that should support us begins to falter: when jobs are scarce, education declines, and the cost of living rises.
Creating scapegoats is the oldest way to gain power and maintain consent. We are divided, we are scared, we wage war against each other while those in power continue to do exactly as they please.
The real issues remain hidden, submerged by chatter about the “invasion” or the defense of national identity, while wages stay low, we remain precarious, schools fall apart, and hospitals close.
It is not immigrants or minorities who steal our future or endanger our families, but those who distract us from the real problems with well-crafted lies.
The “dangerous minorities” do not arrive on boats, they are the ones who want your vote but despise you, the ones who already decide your life to the point that their thoughts have become yours.
It is wrong to fall into the trap of prejudice because hatred and fear do not solve problems—they feed them. The world is not divided into black and white. Relationships, people, and situations are complex, made of a thousand shades, and to address such delicate issues, understanding and empathy are needed.
Instead, let us try to imagine a different Italian state, a more social Europe, a world where people, as human beings, are more integrated and support one another. A world where our anger is not directed against the weakest, but against those who convinced us that they are the cause of our problems.
Let us not become the megaphone for those voices. Society is changing fast, and that defenseless “other” whom we point to today could easily be us tomorrow. How many Jews supported and funded fascism with trust, only to find themselves on a train to Auschwitz the next day?
But if we think differently, there is another reality we can try to create: one where each of us plays our part in improving the community. It all starts here, with a simple reflection: we cannot do it through hatred.
Let us not be deceived by the same old story of those who want us divided, weak, and ignorant. This time, let’s write a different ending together.
