Today, at In-N-Out, my 6yo daughter asked me why it's wrong to call someone a retard.
I told her people who are mentally retarded cannot help who they are and calling someone a retard makes the negative connotation that it's "wrong" to be handicapped.
Apparently a little boy told her anyone who rides the bus is a retard. I told her to tell him, "Anyone who uses intolerant language isn't worth my time".
This, of course, brought up every other nasty word she hears at school and questions to go along with them. I explained that if she learns now how to love people for who they are, and not what circumstances or preference make them, she will be the kind of person people want to listen to.
When I came home tonight I logged onto facebook. I clicked on "most recent" and a link popped up, "How homosexuals are brainwashing our public school children". Directly under the you tube video was a list of comments: "Label me what you will but this pisses me off, this is just gross, etc...".
My stomach ached. These are adults. Theseare were my friends.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I'm actually stuck. I'm sitting at my desk with my forehead on my palm thinking, "How do I verbalize this feeling?". It just can't be done.
It's telling people interracial marriages aren't allowed, it's a serial number on an arm because you're an inferior race, telling a woman to hold her tongue-this is a man's world, separate water fountains/doors/theaters, taking a turban off of someone's head because it makes other people uncomfortable. Shall I go on? Must I? Are you still so ignorant that you can't tell you're alienating people for NO REASON?
I'm not telling my children which sexual orientation to choose when I ask them not to stare at two women holding hands. I'm showing them love. Love is accepting that people are different and spewing hatred won't change anything.
It hurt to unfriend a few people tonight, but what choice do I have? I politely said my piece and then deleted them. They aren't worth my time, I would rather enrich myself with someone interested in the bigger picture.
I told her people who are mentally retarded cannot help who they are and calling someone a retard makes the negative connotation that it's "wrong" to be handicapped.
Apparently a little boy told her anyone who rides the bus is a retard. I told her to tell him, "Anyone who uses intolerant language isn't worth my time".
This, of course, brought up every other nasty word she hears at school and questions to go along with them. I explained that if she learns now how to love people for who they are, and not what circumstances or preference make them, she will be the kind of person people want to listen to.
When I came home tonight I logged onto facebook. I clicked on "most recent" and a link popped up, "How homosexuals are brainwashing our public school children". Directly under the you tube video was a list of comments: "Label me what you will but this pisses me off, this is just gross, etc...".
My stomach ached. These are adults. These
.
.
.
.
.
.
I'm actually stuck. I'm sitting at my desk with my forehead on my palm thinking, "How do I verbalize this feeling?". It just can't be done.
It's telling people interracial marriages aren't allowed, it's a serial number on an arm because you're an inferior race, telling a woman to hold her tongue-this is a man's world, separate water fountains/doors/theaters, taking a turban off of someone's head because it makes other people uncomfortable. Shall I go on? Must I? Are you still so ignorant that you can't tell you're alienating people for NO REASON?
I'm not telling my children which sexual orientation to choose when I ask them not to stare at two women holding hands. I'm showing them love. Love is accepting that people are different and spewing hatred won't change anything.
It hurt to unfriend a few people tonight, but what choice do I have? I politely said my piece and then deleted them. They aren't worth my time, I would rather enrich myself with someone interested in the bigger picture.
