We live in a country that promotes freedom and a country that celebrates independence; with that, every single city in the United States is unique in its own right. We have cities that celebrate diversity and others that celebrate their own heritage and cultures passed down from their first settlers.
Some traditions are born out of hatred and are non-inclusive of others based on opposing views, some traditions include all people and share the experience with the spirit of giving.
You cannot have a country that includes such a vast and expansive group of people from all over the world and not provide the same rights to everyone as equals. To assume someone else is not equal to you based on job title, the color of skin, gender, or anything that doesn’t acknowledge the humanity you both share is wrong.
We are lead to believe that if you share an opposing view you belong to the party that agrees with you. “You must be a liberal” or “you must be a conservative” these aren’t facts, these are excuses designed to change the subject and end the conversation. People are so afraid to question their own beliefs they hold onto ideas that no longer serve the better good of our cities and our own country.
We become so distracted by the idea that it is “them” vs “us” that we don’t stop to think about who gave us this idea. We can learn a lot from taking a second to reconsider our own views and how we want to live and co-exists with others. There is a lot of truth in what we all believe, but in order to be sure we must be open to the idea that we could be wrong, and that scares a lot of people. Something as simple as saying “I’m sorry I fucked up” is terrifying for many. But how else are we supposed to learn how to live next to one another and support people in need?
Most fear isn’t real, and we continue to create fake narratives about our personal rights and freedoms being taken away by the opposing parties. This isn’t true at all, it’s a way to create more fear and more division.
Instead of taking a moment to have real conversations, we look for easy responses, “oh you’re a Democrat”, “Oh, you’re a Republican” you must think or feel this way… that’s bullshit. The only way to know how an individual truly feels about something is to ask them. Just because someone says they aren’t racist, sexist, or a bigot doesn’t mean they aren’t. You ask questions without judgment and ask to understand, not to condemn them for being what they are, but to learn about who they are.
There are many people you don’t want in your corner but there are some people you don’t know who might fight alongside you. We’re all too afraid to step outside our comfort zone and learn about the person we think is so different from us. One thing I know for sure is that most of us are passionate about something, we let fear get in the way and we focus more on the things we hate instead of the things we’re passionate about and need to share. We all have talents and gifts that bring people together, that can help and support others, that can inspire people in very unique ways. The more you focus on what you hate or don’t like in others, the more you learn how to give out what you hate and that’s no way to live. Celebrate differences and give what you can, even if it’s only a smile.
Thank you, for coming to my Ted Talk
Holla at me.