How do you personally define persecution?

[Modem Butterfly]

There's been a lot of talk about persecution lately. Some folks seem to think that expressing an opinion that differs from theirs is persecution. Others seem to feel that anything short of herding people into death camps isn't persecution. I'm curious to know how you define persecution, and I'd especially like to discuss how that definition dovetails with modern American society.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. To me, persecution can be multi-leveled.

The lesser version could be something like personal harassment wherein your reputation is under attack unjustly, your peace of mind is systematically destroyed, minor physical injury (just enough to get you apprehensive in that you never know when it will happen again or when), etc.

The extreme version is rather universal wherein you lose all civil rights in your "homeland", you are made a non-citizen, you lose your rights to your property, employment, status in the community, etc. by either the government or by a vigilante citizen or group thereof. It could end up with you being imprisoned without right to trial and systematic death by starvation and disease or by torture and/or outright execution.

But that's only my opinion . . . . I have grown a thick skin over the years. I don't consider a personal slight or not being taken seriously to be an example of persecution on a subjective basis.