National Day of Silence April 7, 2008
Posted by makingyourdashcount in bigotry, civil disobedience, Ohio Politics, Westerville, Westerville North.Tags: "Day of Silence", Generation Y, Westerville
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How tremendous that Westerville City Schools, along with thousands of schools across this country, are empowering teens to act against intolerance and hate through the annual Day of Silence on April 25th. In 1849, Henry David Thoreau introduced the world to the concept of civil disobedience; since then we have learned the power of civil disobedience through leaders like Martin Luther King and Ghandi.
Through their act of silence on the 25th, teens across the country are standing up to discrimination and hate directed toward people who are gay, lesbian, transgender or bisexual in the best Thoreau tradition. They are reaching beyond themselves.
The children of baby boomers, our current teens, generation Y, are described by pundits as materialistic, self-centered and in need of immediate gratification.
How refreshing it is that they are willing to take on causes such as discrimination against marginal communities, whether or not they are part of that community.
Teaching our students that standing up for the rights of people who are different from the majority is an unequivocally American value.
The day of silence will raise awareness for the just cause of tolerance and the recognition that each of us is an individual. It is ok to be different.
Again, I am proud to live in Westerville, Ohio.
Sally Kern’s comments- a worse threat to the U.S. than “terrorists or Islam” March 15, 2008
Posted by makingyourdashcount in bigotry, politics, sally Kern.5 comments
I am glad that Representative Sally Kern’s (R- OK) hate filled remarks about homosexuals to a republican constituent group became public, because it outs the hatred and intolerance that so many hide behind closed doors. This us versus the anonymous them mentality underlying her comments is the fuel of ignorant blind hate.
We live in a country that is more racially, religiously and otherwise diverse than anytime in our history. I would venture to say that the bigotry shown in her comments and the xenophobia that underlies them is the real threat.
It is the fuel that killed an innocent 14 year old Lawrence King last month; it is the fuel that keeps people who are different in some way from their peers (whatever their differences) to stay quiet about who they are. It is the fuel of fear.
I just do not get how people are insecure enough to hate each other because he or she is Jewish, gay, Hispanic or Muslim or brown haired or blue eyed or living with something else they just don’t understand. What I find so frightening is that Kern won her seat representing Oklahoma City in the OK legislature with 70% of the vote. What I find refreshing are Oklahoma newspapers calling for her removal from office. Yes, do it.
Life is too busy for conspiracies. It is 2008. It’s time to live and let live. We are ALL different. It’s time to embrace our differences.
Making your Dash Count 