dig·ni·ty

ˈdiɡnədē/

noun

1. the state or quality of being worthy of honor or respect."a man of dignity and unbending principle"
2. a sense of pride in oneself; self-respect."it was beneath his dignity to shout"
   

America is a very turbulent place right now. The left protests this past election while the right yells at the left for its anger. It's just a big mess of hate compounding on hate because each side feels equally justified for its behavior. While we are each entitled to think for ourselves, form beliefs, and project them, we are not entitled to hate one another for our beliefs.

Right now, as in past decades, we each see our viewpoints as virtuous. We have given thought to what we believe (I say optimistically), and we hold these views tightly to our hearts as we should. However, the problem in America right now is that we can tend to view the opposing sides as hateful. And I propose that the way we have been acting has been more atrocious than the sides that we oppose.

If you march for women's rights, you should carry yourself with dignified passion. If you support a bill or a party, you should exhibit your support with dignified determination. Ultimately, we need to become more concerned with how we carry ourselves than with the final result. Need an example?

Martin Luther King Jr. His passive resistance is famous. He did not use shock factor language or engage in arguments simply for the sake of proving his point. Rather, he put passion and action into his stand, not into actively pulling people down. He did not insult white people for their negligence to the cause at hand, nor did he incite hatred in the hearts of his followers against their opponent.

Dr. King took his stand with dignity, and I can honestly say that I have seen very few, if any, people as uncompromising in both the determination to fight for a cause and the utmost dignity in doing it.

The problem is this: we make ourselves out to be victims and thus justify our angry cries. Someone hurts us, so we get to hurt. This response only weakens our stand. We look all the more weak when we respond in anger. We are afraid of what is happening, so we become defensive, lashing out at others.

What if our fight was not about the other group but more about the cause at hand? Perhaps the time we devoted to hating someone else could be used to form a proactive movement towards the goal which we strive toward achieving. Just remember that people will always be striving for an opposing goal and that we will not all align. And we will not all win our fights. Although we cannot always win our fights, we can strive for dignity in the fight itself.

So, the choice is up to you. Do you choose hate or dignity?