Love and Hate: Discuss

Time for another episode of “Barrett’s Erratic Ramblings” (I wasn’t going to post this and then I saw the news about the killing at the Sikh temple in Wisconsin.)

The growing atmosphere of hatred, bigotry, and selfishness has become almost too toxic to tolerate. It would appear that the lofty, noble principles on which this nation was founded have been jettisoned. To which universe, I have no idea. In place of the benevolent, collaborative, and supportive “US” as in WE THE PEOPLE… is now some version of “Us and Them” and Me & Mine, More & More, & More.

But even more than that, it’s become vicious, hate-fuelled, and dangerous. I know there are people who say it’s no different from any other period in history, but I’m not sure that’s true. I’ve lived through several of those decades and never been as fearful as I am now. Yes, fearful. Without doing the research right now, I recall in the last month or so, hearing about at least seven different individuals being beaten or killed because they were perceived as being gay or lesbian.           

Two teenage girls shot in the head, one dead. For no apparent reason. They did nothing wrong.

A young girl and two young boys were chased and the girl was severely beaten after the men screamed homophobic slurs.

In Nebraska, a woman’s home was broken into she was beaten up, the assailants carved words into her flesh, and spray painted hate speech on her walls.

In New York, two young men were savagely beaten for being homosexual.

In the middle of the night, a fire in front of the house awakened a man and his two roommates. The man’s car was spray painted with the word “Fag”. As he tried to extinguish the blaze, it exploded and he sustained first and second degree burns which seared his tee shirt to his body. (http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/hate-crime-fag-painted-on-gay-mans-car-then-blown-up-in-front-of-him/news/2012/07/25/44541)

(a recent reference: http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2012/08/lesbian-couple-attacked-by-neighborhood-youth-in-alleged-hate-crime/  )

I Just Don’t Get It.

Why? When did being different in a vast and wonderfully diverse country like ours become evil?

Even without all the details, but I’m reasonably sure that none of these people had done anything to injure or in any way harass their assailants.

So here’s a tough question to the hypothetical assailants out there, “before you decide to take the liberty of deciding how “My God” will judge me, answer one question; Can you tell me any time that I have infringed on your rights, threatened you, or tried to take away your Civil liberties?”

I didn’t think so. This just hurts my heart.

Here’s my two cents. I have been a Registered nurse for over 35 years and during that time; I have cared for thousands of individuals from all walks of life. People with money and those without; people who built the systems of Health Care and people who took advantage of it.

And you know what? I didn’t like all of the people I treated, but I cared for each of them equally and without judgment because it wasn’t my place to judge them it was my job to provide care. You might have even been one of those people.

I believe that I could pick any week during my professional career and truly know I did more to alleviate pain and suffering for more people than many of our illustrious politicians and corporate leaders have ever done in their lifetimes.

How about you? How many times have you put your personal beliefs in your back pocket in order to help your neighbor?

The hypocrisy and hatred has to stop. How can we be the greatest nation on earth when all we demonstrate is bizarre divisiveness? The beauty of our democracy is the freedom each of us enjoys—without exception. We can certainly disagree without violence.

There is greatness in compassion.

Peace, seriously, live it and BE it!