Don’t Use ‘Love & Light’ For Darkness!

 

Don’t Use ‘Love & Light’ For Darkness!

Stop HATE!

 

Okay, everybody – one of the greatest things about this country is the beauty of being able to say what you want and stand up for something that truly causes you distress. Every one of us has the option not to read it, not agree with it, shout it out to the hills, etcetera, etcetera. Opinions and hard work are a part of this great country and, apparently, there are also those who wish to still spread hate even after all these centuries.

 

Bullying is a major ‘illness’ in this country. Bullying has long ago faded from a word or a laugh that was shot across a hallway as you walked by (teasing that still hurt terribly, but there was no fear of hands being put on you). In fact, bullying and the ways to bully are becoming so grotesque that they are now running neck-and-neck with murder, considering the number of our children who are taking their own lives because of the horrors they face in school, as well as on the internet and cell phone texts spreading smear campaigns just to be mean.

 

I speak from experience where bullying is concerned. Frankly, you would be hard to find many people who can look at you honestly and say they were never teased or taunted during their lifetime. I was extremely lucky to come from a home that supported and loved me no matter what. They also taught me to keep my chin raised high and disregard any and all words. In fact, whether someone liked me or not simply didn’t matter, because with my hard work, brains and determination, I would get where I wanted to go. Not only that, but when I looked back twenty years, 99% of the time I would discover that the bully who was once the ‘cream of the crop,’ or the head of some ridiculous ‘popular clique’ had ended up at the bottom of the pile. Why is that? Because when there’s no one left to put down, they simply had no other talent to utilize in order to create an actual life for themselves.

 

Mix It Up at Lunch Day is a nationwide campaign that was launched by an organization called, “Teaching Tolerance.” This program encourages students to basically meet each other – for that ‘geek’  to sit down at a table with that ‘jock’ (some of the most ridiculous designations, by the way, that ever occurred). For those who still don’t understand, think about the cult phenomenon, “The Breakfast Club,” where one student representing all the different cliques in school – from criminal to jock to princess – had to sit together for one day of detention and learn that even with all their differences, they had a great deal of commonalities – including the fact that in the ‘outside’ world they would not cross the social boundaries that they’d been placed in by the stressful world of high school…not to mention their parents!

 

Students still, in 2012, say that the cafeteria is the place where student divisions are most clear. With the Mix it Up campaign, students are asked to move out of their comfort zones and connect with someone new over lunch. Simple concept, I suppose, but it offers a profound need to reduce prejudice and stop  the bullying. Why is this SO important? Because kids are dying!

 

A headline occurs about a mother who, posing as a teen, bullies her own daughter so much on the internet that the daughter commits suicide.

 

A headline occurs about a lovely young teenage girl who suffers from depression who makes a new friend on the computer. A relationship forms until that computer ‘icon’ stops speaking saying that he ‘heard’ the girl was cruel. Next day she commits suicide. Was this a young man? Nope. It was actually members of a family next door having fun. Well…how much fun is it now?

 

Want more headlines? ‘Sexting’ bullying cited in teen girl’s suicide; Teen kills himself because he was bullied for being gay; Students watched as their peers pressured a teen into eating dead bees; Teen chokes herself with a belt after being heavily bullied at school and online…there are pages and pages on Google that will allow you to see exactly how disgusting our world can be, and how dangerous our schools have become.

 

And then…for someone to cite morals as a reason why we should NOT have programs that teach teens that everyone – no matter what race, creed, color or sexual orientation they happen to be – should be accepted, is moronic. Period. No, not everyone has to be ‘best buds.’ Not everyone ever will be ‘best buds.’ But our children should certainly be taught that teasing and bullying and destroying someone’s life for ‘fun’ is not acceptable. Oh, by the way, ADULTS need to be taught this too!

 

When are going to get out of this hundred-year-old mindset that this is ‘good’ and this is ‘not’ – but not because of the heart and soul that a person owns; which is the only thing that matters in the first place!

 

I am absolutely sickened by the way people take the Bible or any religious entity and simply say that they have the stamp of approval from the ‘higher-ups.’ What Book did you read? I ask. Do you really think it’s right for adults to just teach their kids that hurting others is just fine? Really? Again, where do you find that in your Book? We’re responsible for our children and raising them right – not making sure that we destroy the world even further because we want to throw that ‘moral’ label on it and raise our chins with pride.

 

People can not go into a religious building and pick and choose what they wish to come out with. Nor can they twist and turn the words so that they sound the way they want them to. These words are meant for love, tolerance, acceptance, friendship…not YOUR wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy and gluttony. Remember those? You should not, if you wish to preach morality, have the nerve to harm a child with your words and actions! .

 

You bet that organizations that do this are ‘hate groups.’ I find it almost unbelievably amazing that everyone comes together to call the Nazi’s a hate group, and yet some are okay with the fact that there are groups of Americans who truly try to abandon programs that will help teach tolerance and hopefully save some lives. Perhaps you should change your logos to the swastika, because that’s exactly what you’re preaching.

 

And when you actually state that having students meet one another on an even playing field where they do NOT wish to harm one another is something that will spawn homosexuality, is about as dumb as saying Hitler was just misunderstood.

 

As an American, a Christian, and a firm believer that arrogance and our loss of intelligence is what is killing our very own country, I am begging those organizations out there who call themselves supportive of family rights, to basically be quiet until they learn what that means. Because it is your type of stupidity that causes pain and harm in this ‘world of the Savior’ that YOU are always saying you believe in. He gave his life up for you? No. He gave his life up for us, and frankly, He must be heartbroken when He sees this blatant demonstration of hatred. In my house, we’re praying for the haters to actually realize this and find their souls that they apparently lost a long time ago.

 

On October 30, 2012, come together. Find a way to be friends and stop the bullying! Believe me, if you want to wear masks and celebrate horror for ‘fun,’ the next day is Halloween. On the 31^st, wear any costume you want as you pick up your candy. But when the masks come off on November 1^st, keep in your mind that you are a part of an incredible world full of diverse, interesting, and amazing people who have something to say. Just be very careful not to listen to the ones who speak only hate.

 

We’ve seen the travesties that have happened because of hate. Isn’t it time to stop?

 

https://www.facebook.com/MixItUpAtLunchDay2012

http://twitter.com/Tolerance_org