So I did a check on myself on how I was doing political and social anger wise and discovered that...nope I am still angry. I have been trying to avoid a lot of the media carnage because it upsets me so but I fear I must wade in again.
Yesterday I had a grand adventure and got to see the beauty and majesty of about 50 Bald Eagles all in one place. They are magnificent creatures and they reminded me of a conversation I have been having off and on with myself for some time.
I find all this reactionary nonsense toward refugees and Muslims and Mexicans both racist and morally bankrupt. We are all immigrants to this country and the fact that we might have been white and Christian does not make us better or worse than anyone else. We are not more entitled to anything because of our race and our religion.
Every wave of immigration into this country has been met with resistance and ugliness and racism. The Irish were not wanted because of their Catholicism. The Italians were not wanted because of their skin color and their Catholicism. The Chinese were not wanted because of their race and non-Christianity. And the list goes on and on...I am sure my Polish relatives were looked down upon because of their Catholicism and language issues. This is not something new to this country. That being said...most of us had thought things were slowly getting better. That we were learning that the world was bigger than just us and that there was a more compassionate and caring way to deal with others. I think in some people this is true but for other parts of the population it is NOT true and they are determined to take a step backwards instead of forwards.
This is when I was struck by something I heard coming from the right. A sentiment and a thought that struck me right at the core. I am going to paraphrase the sentiments here...we need to protect American lives from terrorists. We need to make sure our people are safe. We need to protect our children from terrorists. I want to be safe from terrorists. America first. My thoughts on the subject...who the hell made your life more important than any other person on this planet? What the f*%^ is so special about you?
My parents were by no means perfect but they did teach me to respect other human beings regardless of any and all differences between us. They taught me that I was not more or less important than anyone else. That I was a human being with responsibilities to other human beings. My life has no more value or importance than any other life. All human life has value and importance. (We shall not enter the abortion debate here.) So all I ask is that while you sit back on your couch in your home with all your family and "stuff" to keep you warm take a moment and consider those who have lost everything and everyone. They are refugees for reasons out of their control. Reasons at least partially caused by our government's failed policies in other parts of the world.
Their lives are not less important than yours. The fact that they may or may not have terrorist links is irrelevant because really you are more likely to be run over by a bus or shot by your toddler than you are to die in a terrorist attack. Check the death tolls from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Turkey and other hot spots and do the math. Your are being fed lies by people who profit from your fear.
I understand that you love your family and friends and you want to protect them. But who convinced you that life is safe? That life is without risk? Every second of every day people die from a myriad of causes. You cannot control and micromanage every second of your life and still actually be "living". We are all interconnected by something basic called humanity. Whether you like it or not you are just the same as every other human being on this planet. Death does not care what color you are, how much money you have or don't have, what country you are from or what religion you practice. So take a step back and look in the mirror and ask yourself if your high opinion of your own value is not really the problem here and realize that you are a human being with a moral obligation to treat others as you would be treated. Stop giving into the fear and start living.
