The parable of the friendly opened-armed village

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488971581_20288a6a96_open-armsThere was a river with two villages on either side. One village was open-armed and open-minded and despite challenges, generally excelled and sought to trade with others. The other village sought to oppress its women, punish non-conformity and attack other villages. They did not trade well, suffered from lack of prosperity, and looked enviously at the village across the waters.

After another round of unresolved tribal fights, one of them fled over the waters, and was rescued, half drowned, by kind hearted members of the other village. When his people saw how he lived on the other side, they started to come too, and the prosperus village kept rescuing them, ready day and night to offer a helping hand.

Some of their people were wary of the villagers that they helped, and noticed that although they now lived in their village, they behaved like they were still in their own village. It was taboo to tell someone to behave, though the newcomes did not share this taboo. More and more came, and soon it was normal to be told how to behave, and to have violent repercussions, but only the newcomes could do this. More people expressed concern, and the newcomes decided to teach them a lesson.

Then more and more newcomers came, but there was little to go around, and it turned into massive fights, and they realised it was the same as home, and they cursed the host village for being so cruel to them. And everyone lived happily every after, because they opened their homes without bias nor fear in their hearts of the consequence.

This was a bedtime story bought to you by Angels and the Greens.

In response to:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-11/bradley-asylum-policies-and-the-problem-of-a-‘higher-purpose’/7158430

Photo by kevinmarsh