A little more we can do, a little more I will do
If you have seven minutes to spare, watch Anderson Cooper's moving tribute to the Orlando shooting victims.
It's worth your time because one thing we can do in every such case is remind ourselves and everyone around us that the victims were real people with lives and dreams and hopes, not merely statistics in another senseless tragedy.
We can also stop tolerating anything that dehumanizes or otherwise diminishes others simply because of their gender, race, religious beliefs, sexuality, or any other distinction that people so often use to treat people as less than equal.
I've sat silent while people around me made jokes or disparaging remarks about something being gay or about stereotypes that diminish whole groups of people. No more. I was wrong to be quiet before. If you say such things around me, expect me to argue with you about it or, if I believe that is pointless, to simply point out how offensive it is and to leave.
It's a small thing to do, but it's something. We need to find a lot of small things to do even as we battle for the bigger things, such as making laws that protect all of us and electing candidates who want to represent all of us, that take a long time.
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3 comments:
I'm right with you, Mark. It's time to stop being "tolerant" of disrespect - - time to curb the ridicule-based humor that our culture so adores - - time to express and live by the empathy that we keep bottled up in fear of appearing weak or vulnerable. Let's be different today. Now is the time.
"We need to find a lot of small things to do even as we battle for the bigger things, such as making laws that protect all of us..."
The only aspect of terrorism that I find terrifying is the legislation passed in response to it.
Old Aggie, thanks for the support.
Kyle, on this point, we will have to disagree, though I must confess to always being a bit concerned about legislation.
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