Greetings, beloveds! Feeling free and excited to start this spring season on the right foot …then the left foot …then the right …then the left –hey, I’m walking here! Thank you, Lindsey and Alex, for your postings over the last few days –enjoy your break.
Happy Monday.
Politics & Human Rights: When will prejudice end?
I’ll be the first to admit: In the year 2015, I’m saddened and disheartened that hurtful prejudice people still exist. Ironically, it’s our differences that make this world great. Who would truly like everything to be vanilla and monotonous?
For that matter, who would want everything purple with green polka dots, without variation? If the whole world was purple with green polka dots, then its uniqueness is no longer. Now, everyone’s the same! Yikes.
I very much appreciate this wonderful adage: “Variety is the spice of life!” I believe I’d be bored out of my mind if we all looked the same, talked the same, dressed the same, had the same hobbies and vocations …”blah” is my professional and mature reaction. 🙂
I’m certain most of us can recall when we were “tweenagers” on a lazy summer afternoon (too big to get on the small rides and too old to enjoy the privileges of a kid, yet too young to have more freedoms like a teenager), and we slumbered over to mum, dad or grandmum and harrumphed, “I’m sooo bored. There’s nothing to do!”
Now, just imagine being at such an apathetic and disempowered place (as a kid or adult), and then continuing with your day hanging with your friends who play the same games, have the same interests, eat the same food as you do. Mama mia …such doldrums.
Let’s face it: We need not agree with how our fellow brothers and sisters spend their own time. Yet, truthfully, as long as they are not hurting others nor themselves, it’s none of our business what other people do. Seriously… to each their own. Live and let live.
Quite honestly, we ALL have our own biases. By definition, a bias is something that we have been exposed to most, if not all, of our lives. In fact, biases and prejudices are many times unconscious. And yet, that does not make them okay, right? Furthermore, biases and prejudices need not be “wrong.”
In other words, we all were raised a certain way, which develops and creates our own biases. That’s natural. That’s normal. That’s human –favoring the ways, principles, or lifestyles in which we were raised. There’s nothing “wrong” with each of our own lifestyles (given we are not harming anyone, please remember).
The problem only surfaces when we start telling others what to do, or telling others that their lifestyles, or personal and familial characteristics or choices, are bad and wrong. No one has the right to judge others.
Unconditional love and acceptance of everyone is one of our primary goals (if not, our only goal) here upon our beloved Earth School, and if it were easy to do, then everyone on the planet would be doing it and we’d be living in a drastically better world!
Thanks for allowing me the room to prep this next story regarding the governor of Indiana, who’s been receiving much backlash for his anti-gay statements. Tying my prep work with this story… his belief that he’s not a fan of the gay lifestyle is his own business. He’s not wrong for his belief (albeit, closed-minded and closed-hearted, but he’s not “wrong”)… but he surely needs to keep this view to himself. The problem surfaces when he, or anybody, judges others, and especially when they verbalize such judgments.
My mum used to tell me, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all.” Words to live by, especially in a world of diversity …especially when we should be celebrating diversity rather than condemning it.
While Governor Mike Pence directly voiced he will not push for gay rights protection, the backlash from the community-at-large was able to get the State of Indiana to change their tune, as evidenced by State House Speaker, Brian Bosma, to publicly express they value people from all walks of life. I AM most grateful for their change of heart and desire to step up and honor every person’s orientation and lifestyle choices.
“The one thing that is evident from this entire episode is that ALL politicians are still malleable when the business community is galvanized to act. What does this mean for middle-class centric activism in the short term? It seems that more must be done to force our businesses to engage our politicians on other issues lest they feel our wrath. In the long term we must ensure politicians ultimately answer to the people and not solely to business interests and corporations. This does not mean simply voting, but voting engagingly and smartly.”
Indiana Legislature Bucks Governor Mike Pence on his LGBT Stance by Egberto Willies. Daily Kos.
Politics & Human Rights: People have the power… Now we must live it!
Wowie zowie! This next story is a direct result of the anti-gay environment in some parts of Indiana –sad but true.
“‘If a gay couple came in and wanted us to provide pizzas for their wedding, we would have to say no,’ O’Connor told local affiliate ABC 57. ‘We are a Christian establishment. We’re not discriminating against anyone, that’s just our belief and anyone has the right to believe in anything,'” says Crystal O’Connor of Memories Pizza, Walkerton, Indiana.
Consequently, Memories Pizza has closed its doors due to public outrage of threatening calls and online posts. Damn, that’s some instant karma, now isn’t it? Memories Pizza is discriminating against people, and in turn interestingly, other people are now discriminating against them –the Universal Law of Attraction in all its glory working perfectly as it was intended. To what we give our energy and attention (discriminating against people), is what we shall receive in return (being discriminated against): Law of Attraction …poetic justice.
Also, please notice O’Connor’s level of awareness. She states that they’re NOT being discriminatory, and that it’s their right to hold any beliefs they so choose. “Yes, Christie (O’Connor), you do have the right to your own personal beliefs of being against the LBGT lifestyle –no qualms there. And yet, this belief of yours must stay with you since your judgment of others is hurtful,” I reply to her as if she’s standing right next to me.
In my perspective, this is where O’Connor is completely missing the boat. Her statements are not only hurtful toward others, but she is totally unaware that her beliefs are hurtful toward others –when verbalized publicly. Funny enough, where she really has enough rope to hang herself (in my opinion) is that she has the expectation that she should be respected and that her beliefs should by honored by others.
Therein lies the tricky part. Yes, of course, from a theoretical and objective place, her views –and everyone’s views– should be honored and respected, but from a practical and ethical standpoint, it’s very hard to do so. “Why?” you ask. Simply because she is not giving respect, which by definition, the Law of Attraction states that she will not receive it either.
As a natural social reaction, the public is turned off by her outspoken bigotry and created judgments about who she is as a person, to the point of protesting her business forcing her to close her retail doors. I recall mentioning in the above previous story about the outspoken Indiana governor who is also prejudice toward the LGBT community: It’s important to keep such views to yourself, especially if they 1. judge other people, and 2. if they hurt other people.
“Funny how when you trumpet to the world that you’re going to discriminate against people, you get an overwhelming negative response—even if you try to claim it’s not discrimination. And we the people have the right to respond accordingly on the internet and never frequent your business again. The hand of justice in the age of social media has never been swifter.”
How true it really is: We, the people, have the power. We always did, and we always will. Even though our governments have been most successful in coercing us to give up our power to them. They are overwhelmingly sly and cunning, resulting in us effectively surrendering our innate God-given sovereign rights and freedoms to the 1%.
In contrast, do you see how quickly the public, us…all of us, when banding together for a worthwhile and common goal can immediately produce change?! It’s amazing. It’s fantastic. It’s so damn exciting to see the power we wield –for the betterment of humankind, of course.
If we can shut down this pizzeria in no time flat, then we can shut down the parts of our world which no longer serve us… in no time flat. We simply need to unite. Easier said than done …or is it?
Did I mention cunning and sly? This is why our governments created erroneous and imaginary borders (that only exist on maps) to manipulate us into believing that people in America are fundamentally different than people in Canada …or than people in Africa… or than people in China. No, that’s a lie.
Yes, we have some differences in livelihood and agreeing on what’s important, but that is all superficial when looking at what people –of every nation– want: To prosper, to laugh, to love, to be in peace. “Unity Consciousness” means we must unite. The 99% can, will, and are reclaiming our world.
If your world is particularly stressful –as most of ours are right now– please remember that this too shall pass!
Across this beautiful world, We Are All One.
Gavin