The power of love
Sitting on my computer as the Beetles are playing in the background- and my bong sitting opposite my bed. I begin to ponder what to write. My article is late and my editor is in despite need of it. Yet I have no idea what to write about. I ponder over my day and I wonder what event could be the spark for the creative explosion with which I will decorate the blank canvas in front of me. Then it comes to me. I can write about the video that my partner had showed me on Facebook the other day, and my backlash towards its disgusting content. The video showed a disgruntled customer in a Marcy’s who insults another individual of a different nationality, stating that she should “Go back to wherever the hell she came from”. And that she didn’t deserve the gifts that this individual was purchasing, as they could not afford them, and must use tax payer’s dollars to purchase the gift. When the individual apologized, the disgruntled customer went on that the other individual should speak English as this is America. As my initial reaction to this video, I pose one singular question.
WHAT THE HELL AMERICA?
Although I did find the SEVERE lack of intelligence of the disgruntled customer to be slightly humorous. (Those bigots they act like such assholes that they all look like fools… Don’t you just love them?). There is a much bigger issue with this video. THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED. And events like this are happening all over the country, especially after the election. So what is the reason for this? These beliefs are prevalent wherever we go. This needs to stop. We are not going to help the problems by influencing them. These beliefs and concepts are outdated and just plain wrong. I have seen them throughout my entire life. From a published high school classmate of mine who now praises trump like an idol, and seriously believes that he can make America great again by ridding our country of foreigners, and correcting the “corrupted” mindset of LGBTQ+ members. To the coworker of mine at home depot who commented that I should “get a background check on that towel head” after my best friend came through looking for a new axe handle for firewood.
We need to stop these beliefs because they are just plain evil. How someone can have these bizarre and disturbing beliefs surprises me. But they are out there. I believe that the most powerful weapons within mankind’s immense of arsenal are Love, Acceptance, and Understanding. So let’s break down what these words mean and how they can benefit our society. Love is simple. It’s caring about someone like yourself. It’s showing kindness and having open arms to those around you.
How is this a benefit? Love never hurt anyone. To paraphrase Atticus Finch, Love is the mockingbird. It never did us wrong. All it does is provide music and happiness. Acceptance is loving and reaching out to someoneno matter who they are, and disacknowledging all differences they may have from you. It’s not fearing a different person but embracing the diversity that they bring into our lives. What can acceptance do for us? Acceptance can help us see each other for who we really are. We are brothers and sisters, we are one organism united and molded in the most beautiful ways with diverse people throughout the world. So why can’t we all just find some way to get along? It sure as hell couldn’t make the situation any worse than it already is. Understanding also plays a key part in this equation. Understanding is patience, and realizing that you are not the only person in the world. And taking time to fully get to know someone rather than choosing to group them into a distorted image that the media attempts to mold our beliefs with. What can understanding do for us. It can help us form a more accurate idea of those around us. These are the tools that we must use to dismantle the culture of hatred, and construct a culture of unity and happiness in it’s place.Understanding allows for us to really get to know those around us, and their beliefs. Thus allowing us to be more accepting of these differences. And allowing for us to fully welcome these individuals with love. Rather than brushing them away with love.