About a month ago or so, while scrolling through Facebook, I came across a music video by the Black Eyed Peas called "Where's the Love?". I hadn't expected that, while watching it the very first time, it would evoke such a powerful emotional reaction in me. In regards to the events of this past week with the presidential election, it is now more than ever that we as a country, and more importantly as humans, need to consider the question of "where is the love?" in our world today.
Now, this article is not to bash against or support certain political parties, this is an article that begs the question of considering what values do we want not only for ourselves and friends, but for the generations to come after us. In the past century, we have fought against segregation, sexism, racism, homophobia and so much more. In the past few years alone, we have grown so much by fighting for LGBTQ+ rights, women's rights, and as well as for more representation for POC. We have seen our country grow in so many ways, but our work to improve ourselves and society is far from over.
Now is not the time to pat ourselves on the back and stop. Nor is it a free pass to revert back to how we acted as a society in the past. Regardless of who you voted for in the election or if you even voted for that matter, the big question is, "what kind of country do we want to be?"
The election of one person into an office of immense power is no excuse to justify behavior that discriminates and divides us as human beings. We owe it to ourselves and to those that we share the planet with to fight for progress and equality. This election has been frightening for a majority of the country. I won't pretend that we all have the same fears or worries as the other, nor will I excuse behavior that treats someone as if they were not a human being.
We're all human. None of us are perfect. We will never be, but this doesn't mean we need to stop working towards a better future. This doesn't mean violence, this doesn't mean hurting one another. This means speaking up, becoming involved, becoming aware and educated about what's going on in the world.
This election is the biggest reason why it's so important that we keep working to bridge our differences so we can become united. With this in mind, it is my greatest hope that there will come a day where we won't need to ask where the love is, we will feel it regardless of who we are.
