Shining The Light

Most of you probably heard the hate-word Kobe Bryant was caught using last week.  Kobe stood up and took responsibility for his homophobic word, he says he researched teen suicide among gay youth and he plans to do more.  That is good...we all need to do more.  We all need to do more; we all need to shine a light on the reality of what people feel and how they behave based on their feelings.  It is difficult to remove a stain if you don't roll up your sleeves and put some elbow grease into it.  If you keep the lights off, you might not even see the stain.  We live in the diverse country in the world.  Many people are willing to die just to get to this country.  Many people are willing to sacrifice their lives in defending this country.  Among both groups there are heroes and there are those who hold hateful feelings and behave in hateful ways.  You can't throw around words believing there are no ramifications - what is more disturbing is how easy some words flow out of people's mouths.  Racism is alive and thriving in this country.  It may never be totally eradicated, however if we don't shine a light on those who preach and practice racism we have no hope of diminishing its power.  I find ageism particularly disturbing - we don't talk about it, it is not in the news, yet it exists everywhere.  I feel for those people living in nursing homes, or assisted living facilities, or still keeping their own home.  There is so much we can learn from our elders.  We don't take the time to listen.  The other day in the grocery store an elderly woman was writing a check - when someone writes a check it slows the line down.  Those people behind her, in each group, I heard at least one negative comment about how she should "get with the times." "Who writes checks anymore?" "Old people should have their own line." These comments are hateful and shameful.  Individuals who come to this country illegally well they should go back to their home countries and come here legally.  I believe illegal is illegal.  The belief it is only Mexican or Hispanics who are here illegally.  Of course that is not true.  We allow individuals to come this country so they can get the best education available, then they go back to their home countries, make some great product or scientific breakthrough - which we in turn pay an incredible amount of money for.  That seems wrong to me.  What is happening is Arizona, with the passage of a law allowing law enforcement to ask for proof of citizenship - I wonder what race will receive the most "stops?" When I first moved to CA, I worked at a Howard Johnsons.  There were several waitresses, waiters, cooks, etc. illegally in this country.  They were from Canada.  They had illegal social security cards and they were here, taking jobs from American Citizens - they were illegal.  Do you think they would be pulled over suspected of being in this country illegally? It is hard to convince anyone of anything if they base their beliefs on the bible.  Religious conviction is strong.  So often that strength is beautiful and powerful and can holds us up when we can't stand on our own.  Then we see and hear how some individuals use that conviction as a platform for hateful words and behavior.  Shining the light on these situations is perhaps the most difficult - often, those who shout the loudest believe they are already in the light - the rest of us are in the dark.  We need to turn the lights on.  We need to talk, listen, converse - we need to take power away from the darkness.  Whomever is least amongst us, in a country so powerful and rich - there should be no least amongst us.  Children should not be homeless.  Hunger should not exist in this country.  We must become the agents for change. We must turn on the lights.  We must take responsibility - speak up in defending others.  Last week at Emily's school they had a "Be Silent" day.  The purpose was for students to remain silent in support of gay, lesbian, and transgender teens who were afraid to speak their truth.  The school provided white boards for those who chose to be silent.  That is pretty progressive.  It probably helped more than one student who thought they were alone - perhaps it saved a life.  When we remain silent, when we here an off color joke, or a racist, ageist, homophobic, joke and we laugh - we are as guilty as the person who spoke the words.  Maybe we are even more guilty because we know it is wrong and we do nothing.  It is frightening to speak up in line at the grocery store, especially in today's volatile times; however, silence empowers the ignorant.  Turning on the lights is not easy, we don't have to do it alone - we can do it together.  The more people, the more light - we can take away the fear, empower one another - if we all turn on our light - well, there is hope.  It is not easy.  There are no easy, quick fixes to what ails the soul of our humanity - the process is going to take time - we have time, we have lights, we have power, we each have a voice - we can change the culture of hate - we can light the world, show the way.  We are the greatest country in the world - shouldn't we start behaving like it?