In the midst of tragedy and suffering the people of the world have been going through lately, it is important that we remember to be lights for those who have lost all hope. As I scroll through my Facebook feed, I have become filled with negative thoughts about society. Everywhere I look, people are sharing and talking about sadness, pointing fingers at people, and spreading ignorance and hate. Instead of mourning the loss of life, people are saying, "He shouldn't have resisted!", "He had a gun!", "He had a past criminal record!"
Instead of uniting with a group of people that has always been persecuted, people are saying "Someone should have had a gun!", "That was an attack on America, not gays!!", "Why aren't there STRAIGHT bars?!" It doesn't matter which side of the argument you were on; there should be a unanimous feeling of grief instead of dehumanization. The people who have died in recent events are that people. They aren't just icons fabricated by the media. They were mothers, fathers, and students, with hopes, dreams, and aspirations. If you really think that hateful words will make the world a better place, you must think the world will run on negativity. Can you imagine your son or daughter in that night club on the night of the shooting? What about your friend? Instead of getting support from those around you, you receive spiteful remarks about gun control and America being under attack. I don't see how that would help the mourning process. Just because you're entitled to your own opinion does not mean that you should spread hate.
Instead of posting a hateful status about Muslims, share support and compassion.
Instead of sharing ignorance and hate, share love and kindness.
It doesn't matter what side of the spectrum you are on. If these events don't sicken you, you really need to gain some perspective on life. The media does an amazing job of dehumanizing these people, and using them as examples to help their political agendas. When thinking about these tragedies, remember that they were people. They had hearts that beat and blood that circulated throughout their bodies. They had feelings. They had plans that had to be cancelled because they died. They woke up, on an ordinary day that ended their lives. I wonder what they would have done if they knew that day would have been their last.
Judging people won't make America a better place. Cutting off a religion won't make America a better place. Making America better will make it a better place, and the only way to accomplish that is to expel ignorance-- not to expel immigrants who call America home just as much as you do.
Or, in the words of our mothers, don't share anything at all. Some of us may never experience a hate crime in our lives; that is why #alllivesmatter is irrelevant. At some point in these past few weeks, you have found yourself asking "Something needs to change in this world." Insulting those with other ideas will not accomplish change... and if you believe it will, you are the one who needs to change.
