Oppression Essay, Research Paper

Definition Paper

?Oppression, to divide and conquer is your goal. Oppression, I swear hatred is your home. Oppression, you mean only harm.? -Ben Harper

Oppression is this and so much more than what Ben Harper wrote in his song. Oppression is an unjust or cruel exercise or action of power. Everyone experiences oppression at least once in his or her lives. We have only recently begun to fight the effects of oppression, to gain freedom in our world. Oppression divides us to keep us from maintaining our freedom, what little of it we have. Oppression is completely based on hatred and preys on you when you sleep, or when you are at your lowest point. It kicks you when you are down, and pushes you further down the rabbit?s hole. It forces you to fight when you are the weakest and will take your very last breath. It takes one problem and snowballs until you can not take it anymore. We can learn to fight oppression, if we only make ourselves aware.

Oppression is not a friend, though it may be disguised as one. It takes what you believe in and makes it nonexistent. Oppression is what makes life hard. It tests you to see if you will make the stand for freedom, or be oppressed. African-Americans were oppressed for hundreds of years, and when it couldn?t get any worse, they found and fought with their leaders for what they believed in, freedom. Both the Egyptians and Hitler oppressed Jews for 5000 years, when he decided to wipe out their entire race. Women were oppressed for many years until they decided to fight for equality. Oppression is hatred, but must not be confused with prejudice. In the above examples, these people were pushed down further and further until they took a stand for what they believed in.

Oppression still exists today everywhere you go. It exists in anything that involves power. Oppression seeks population control; to divide and conquer is its goal. It never leaves bad enough alone, only preys to make it worse.