The world is full of uncertainty right now. There is strife over politics and religion, over race and equality. Strife and discord are unsettling. It doesn't feel safe or comfortable. It's scary. It's scary for everyone. Still, the world keeps on turning and the sun keeps rising.
It's so easy to become afraid during these times, and to let that fear and dread consume us. Just because it might feel like the end of the world, however, does not mean we should act as though it is. More than ever we need to remember that the sun rises because there is a future, the world turns because there is a future. What we do today will effect that future. We will have a future regardless of what we do. The question needs to be, what do we want that future to look like?
We have the power and ability to shape our own futures, as well as the futures of those around us. Voting is just one of the ways in which we do this. All Democrats aren't bad. All Republicans aren't bad. What we all need to do as Americans is to think about what our society needs. We need to think about the direction of America as a people and then vote for the person who is most able to lead us in that direction.
How we behave after the election is equally important. Part of what is wonderful about America is that we have the freedom to speak out against our government officials. We can openly discuss things we dislike, and things we like. We must remember that in order to keep that freedom, we must also listen and respect the opinions of others. Not just people we agree with, not just with people whose opinions mirror our own. We must understand that to protect the rights of the people we accept a little of the "bad" along with the greater "good". Freedom is only fully freedom when we respect everyone equally. That doesn't mean we need to change our minds about what we think or believe, and it doesn't mean we need to always agree with others. We do learn more though when we are more interested in understanding our fellow Americans, than when we are judging them and pointing fingers.
When we spend too much time judging others' choices, opinions, lives, religion and political affiliations we are essentially saying "I'm better than you, I'm more important than you, and my opinion is more relevant because I'm more special than everyone else". It's a dangerous way of thinking, because once we fall prey to that mentality, we start believing that anyone who disagrees is "less", that their rights don't need to be valued, and their freedoms don't exist. Remember to respect each other, to listen even when you disagree. Instead of arguing, ask some questions, seek to learn. You may be able to find common ground that way, or help someone learn. Where there is true conversation and respectful discussion, there is room for true learning and progress. That means we have to understand that people will come from all sorts of different backgrounds, with many different ideas about the world. Things that seem obvious to you, aren't obvious to others. They will think certain things are obvious as well.
I am hoping that out of all this discord and societal upheaval, we will realize it is up to each of us to make the world a better place. It can't just be about protecting animals, or cleaning up the world. We have to add more to our to-do lists. We have to also help the people, and not just our own neighborhoods. We are connected to each other globally, and there's nothing wrong with taking that into consideration. What we do in America effects people around the world, just as the opposite is sometimes true. Plus, it's just being a decent human. We can let the current pressures of today overwhelm us or we can learn to rise above the pettiness to become the diamonds.
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