As I lay down tonight, I am saddened. I am saddened because we have become a country that begs for tolerance; yet I see intolerance every day of my life. At ever corner, I see a label. I see and hear each day in our shop and at the cafe, random people within and outside of my inner circle who spew statements and cannot be convinced that there is a thing wrong with it.Yesterday, an older woman in my shop said she was tired of this country taking just anyone over our borders. It was of her opinion the borders should be closed, we are full, turn them all away. She closed her eyes last night with the firm belief that Obama was entirely responsible for there being any foreigners every entering this country. He is a king, and he is the reason for EVERY. SINGLE. THING. WRONG. in this country. (She had no concept of the idea of a democracy or Congress. It was all Barry calling the shots)
For only one of a handful of times in my life, I was speechless. I am speechless today. I've spent the last 30 hours or so reading about my civil rights. I've reread the Bill of Rights. I've read the amendments. I've been reading over the battle that Mr. King fought with so many others and the actions that JFK took at a point that, gratefully, I didn't have to endure.
I feel like we are clueless to what it has taken to get our country to this place. I can't recall ever mistreating someone because they weren't like me. Hell, we were all just alike. I don't remember any weirdos at school. Really, I don't remember anyone not pretty much just like the next person standing next to me. I recall after getting out of high school and going to college laying my eyes on the first person I'd ever seen in person that was from a foreign country. It NEVER once dawned on me to treat them any different. I thought it was cool.
When I was about 10, my grandparents took me to the Grand Canyon and the Badlands and a tour of the west (because that is where Zane Grey novels were based and god forbid my grandpa not see all that in person). We were in New Mexico on an "Indian" reservation. I have photos with a small Native American girl (that I'm sure my grandma pawned me off on for photos) in front of Old Faithful Geyser and another at Mount Rushmore. I didn't feel compelled to punch these kids in the face because they didn't have my pasty skin color or talk slow.
At what point did the tides change and we start questioning people regarding what they did in the privacy of their bedrooms and give it a label? At what point did we decide that it was okay to degrade people because of how they felt regarding anything? When did we as a society decide that OUR CHOICE IS THE RIGHT CHOICE for everyone?
When did we decide not to take the tired, the poor and the huddled masses yearning to be free? How lucky are ALL of us that OUR ancestors weren't turned away at Ellis Island? We come in this country and then with an arrogance of insane proportions, we decide to turn our backs on the tired and poor of our own.
The Internet is a wonderful tool for information (if you trust where you're looking). But I feel it may have become a hatebox, rather than a soapbox. I see people every day post things regarding their stance on religion, politics, sexuality, how they hate their jobs, and just spill nastiness.
I label myself a Democrat. I don't proclaim that EVERY Democrat is equal. Giving yourself a label is different than someone labeling you. I can say that I'm Amy and I'm vocal and opinionated and think differently than so many around me, it seems. I can't, however, say that EVERY AMY is vocal, opinionated and thinks differently.
Please think before you lump EVERY person in a class. Please take a moment to delete your noun and put, say, your kid's name or your special someone's name there. Repeat it aloud and then decide if you still want to make that statement. Without trying, we're getting too passe with our blank statements, and I'm becoming the old lady who wonders what this world is coming too.....
