“It’s not the color of your skin; it’s the way people treat you that matters.” –William Stone

Living in a world and time that is utterly fixated on someone’s religious beliefs, the color of their skin, or who they love, can make it extremely hard for those who stray away from “normal” or “correct”. The disappointing aspect of this whole on-going issue is that what some many consider “normal” or “correct” is not how others might define those words. When you type in normal into the search bar on google, the definition states “conforming to a standard”. I don’t know about you, but by the looks of it, having to conform to the "standard" does not sound like something I would want to do. The beautiful thing about humans is that we each have our own personalities, likes and dislikes, and character traits that individually make us unique. If we all conformed to the "standard" nothing and no one would stand out. Normal is a word that should stay in the textbooks and should not be used to define people. Because, quite frankly people will never be explained by an equation or a graph.

Have Your Voice Heard: Become an Odyssey Creator

This past year, living in a foreign country helped me see that to truly rid this world of discrimination, change must start within each and every one of us. While I am and have always been one who believes in equality, I decided to be more vocal about these issues after an encounter I had while living in Germany. One weekend, a few of my friends and I befriended some African-American men who were darker complected than the rest of my friends. We asked them if they wanted to join us in trying out this new pub down the street. As my friends and I all walked through the doors, we encountered no questions nor problems. However, as our African-American friends were entering, they were immediately stopped by the bouncers. Our friends were asked for their IDs (They were of age) and then were shunned because the "shirts they were wearing were not acceptable". Mind you, they were wearing the same colors as the others in my group. This happened not once, but three different times at three different pubs. I was appalled. The bouncers saw nothing but the color of their skin and were thinking of any excuse not to let them in. Our friends told us to enter the pub and they would just wait for us outside when we were done. What they had just offered was a very nice gesture, considering what they had just undergone. I was in shock, and decided to put my foot down. I told them, “If all of us can’t go in, we aren’t going to go in at all.” They didn’t deserve our business, and our friends did not deserve to be humiliated in such a manner.

My heart hurt that night, but I knew what I had to do. In a society that is heading towards more progressive movements, it’s still clear that segregation, discrimination, and prejudice are very much alive today. To truly change this madness, we must be blind…blind to color, blind to race, and blind to religion. If others are not directly harming me, my life, my friends, nor my family I am perfectly okay with them living life as they wish. If my guy-friend is gay, and wants to marry a man, he should. There is nothing more beautiful than seeing two people in a beautiful and healthy relationship. Just because I personally would not marry a woman, does not mean that I should forbid others to do so. What I believe and the way I live my life are my life choices, not anyone else’s. Correct, there is a strong percentage of Christians in America, however, America is a melting pot. There are people living in our country with various ethnicities, income levels, skin colors, and religions; we all make up America, not just the “normal” or the “standard”.

While it is easy and quick for us to judge outward appearance or how people choose to live their lives, I challenge you to take the time to listen and truly know a person before you judge them. A person should not be defined by who they worship or the color of their skin, but rather how they treat you and the people around you. True character lies within. Stand up for equality and know that change can happen. It starts with one person; it starts with you. I don’t see color, I don’t see race, and I don’t see religion.

I am blind, and I hope that you can be too.