life, actually.

Let me start off by saying there are countless things I could do to be more socially responsible; I am not a crazy environmentalist, I shop at Wal-Mart, Forever 21, and occasionally eat at McDonald’s, I eat a lot of meat, I am not particularly healthy nor do I regularly exercise, and I’ve been known to have a quick very sharp tongue. However, there is one thing I can always afford to do, and that is to be respectful of absolutely everyone that deserves it.

1. White people are easy to make fun of, I get it. Who is going to be the asshole that tries to defend a race with such a terrible reputation? Certainly not me! But, I firmly believe I am a part of a new generation of that have been raised with more compassion and acceptance than generation before us. And that’s not to say my generation doesn’t have its share bigotry, but that is most definitely not the majority. It’s true for nearly every group of people that there is a bad bunch that just makes everyone shameful (ie, Nazi’s, The KKK, Al Qaeda, Mel Gibson etc…). I feel like I’ve spent my entire life dispelling the stereotype that I am a wealthy, entitled, brat which is all more infuriating considering my life has been so very far from charmed. The truth is everyone has their very own baggage and emotional bullshit, and if you’ve lived a charmed life you should count your blessings and thank your family, but stay humble and forever fear poverty.

2.     That being said I also feel most people are very selfish with their respect.

• You don’t need to be homosexual to support equal rights.
• Your people may have never been suppressed or enslaved, but your heart should ache and your blood should boil for those that have.
• You don’t need to be a rape victim to understand that no one “asks” to be raped, and deserve to make their own decisions regarding their body.
• You don’t need to be Muslim to be bothered by the “Islamaphobia” that has gripped this country after 9/11.
• You don’t need to be personally affected by this war to support and respect the troops that ultimately support and protect the country that you live in.
• You do not need to a bible clutching, Allah worshiping, Star of David wearing person to see the ignorance and disrespect of criticizing an entire religion just because it is not what you personally believe.

I need to stress how imperfect I am and all of this understanding has come with years of being surrounded by hatred, but it would all be for nothing if I didn’t learn something. Just don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re forward thinking if you still hold prejudices and hate in your heart. I’ve learned to forgive and not forget and it has helped tremendously.

I am not an intellectual, there is a lot that I simply do not know, but I do know that hate fuels hate and I’d like to try to break the cycle beginning with myself.

In short, I wish everyone (myself included) could be nice to everyone all the time but I am not completely naive to know that this is very idealistic rather than realistic.  

I hope I have not sounded preachy and or pretentious that is NOT what this was about.

“Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart.”

Anne Frank.