One moment while I step up on my soapbox. . .
Do you realize most of the world's problems can be solved with empathy, love and kindness? Seems quite simple really, but somehow, we continue to let hate, selfishness and prejudice tear us apart.
One of the best compliments I've ever received is that I have a good moral compass. People at work would run things by me to make sure it's the "right thing to do." Now, am I a saint? Absolutely not, no human is. But I intuitively know (and have learned) right from wrong and let my heart guide me, so get ready, because I'm about to preach. . .
LGBTQ+
Gay is not only ok, but great. How amazing for people to be able to know their truth and not be afraid to live it. Isn't love what we all strive for? Why in the world would we ever dictate who can find true love and who can't? And here's what baffles me most of all - how does a man loving another man or a woman loving another woman affect you? Simple answer: It doesn't. So, I say love who you want and fly that pride flag high. I'm 100% an ally and if you're not, I'd take a hard look inward and ask yourself why.
Religion
Oh, organized religion. The cause of more war and death than anything else (besides greed for land ownership). I am non-denominational Christian and don't subscribe to the man-made rules surrounding religion. If I was Catholic and couldn't use birth control, I couldn't afford all those mouths to feed. If I was Mormon and couldn't drink coffee or tea (or wine), would that really bring me closer to Jesus? A childhood friend married a Baptist preacher right out of high school. When I was visiting them, he asked me if I was baptized. When I told him that I was not, he said he felt bad for me because if I were to get in a fatal car accident after leaving their house, well then, I was going straight to hell. So, let me get this straight - I've worked my entire life to be a kind, decent person, but because your church didn't dunk me in holy water, my afterlife is doomed for all eternity? I don't buy it.
Listen, if peoples' faith is important to them and helps them lead a life on the straight and narrow, good for them. But why must we all try to push our own religions and discriminate against those who chose a different path? We all agree Hitler was bad, right? He promoted the Airean race of blue-eyed, blond-haired non-Jews. And yet as that went down in history as the worst genocide our world has ever experienced, here we are still experiencing antisemitism in the world today. Not to mention the recent anti-Muslim attacks.
If every religion truly believes they are practicing the "one true religion", which is the only key to the heavens, then there are going to be a lot of disappointed souls waiting at the pearly gates for salvation.
Racism
This one is the most ridiculous of them all. We are ALL human. We all have hopes, dreams and want to love and be loved. We all feel the same strong emotions and work our entire lives to try to control them. We all inherently want peace. So then why does the color of one's skin matter? Why does place of birth and native tongue matter? Short answer, it doesn't.
We all bleed when we're cut. We all cry when we mourn. We all want the best for the people we love. So why the ongoing discrimination against people who might look or sound different from us? Bringing different cultures, backgrounds and traditions together helps us expand our minds and enjoy richer lives. We should embrace each other's differences, celebrate diversity and remember, we are all the same species put on this planet to share in the knowledge we gain and progress we make. Being sworn enemies will not further humankind in any way, shape or form.
Let's Change Our Reality
Our lack of a morally sound national leader unfortunately is perpetuating division and segregation while undoing the good progress we've made. I like to find hope in dire situations so here it is: If we remind ourselves and others to be kind (even when it's difficult), treat other people how you would like to be treated, and to stand up for those who are being marginalized, then we can block out the hatred-fueled discourse coming from our government and the narrowminded. Let's band together to move forward in the right direction and constantly remind ourselves to make sure our moral compasses are pointed due north.
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