There are so many vital lessons that we learn when growing up, one of the most important is how we treat others. My parents always taught me to see every person as exactly the same, no matter where they are from, how much money they had, or what race or religion they are. Everyone is exactly the same, we are humans.
Unfortunately over the years I began to understand that not all of us were raised the way I was, and maybe that had to do with age or region, but it disturbs me nonetheless. You can't blame hate on inanimate concepts like a region or the idea of age, those are just excuses for the hate that people decide to spread.
It is difficult to discuss such topics without mentioning the current presidential election, and as much as I don't like to talk politics there comes a time when you can no longer watch the horrible actions taking place. There has been a pivotal revelation as to the state of our nation and the discord among people's beliefs.
As I have referenced in past articles, I work in a grocery store when I return home on breaks, and unfortunately that is one of the first places where I witnessed such callous hatred in person. I was operating a register, while a woman was bagging the customer's grocery's. The woman who was bagging was older and therefore slower at packing the items in the bags, but she was doing a great job still.
The customer suddenly out of nowhere ripped a bag out of my coworker's hand and proceeded to talk down to her in one of the most demeaning tones I have heard in my entire life. The customer I could hear was extremely displeased with the way the woman was working, and belittled her for not being able to speak English. And while the customer may have tried to make excuses as to why she was displeased, it was really inspired by a hate that can only be instilled by learning.
This was at least five years ago now, but I will always remember it, I will remember it as a glimpse into the ugly truth that hate exists in our country, it just took a racist candidate to make individuals feel free to voice it. It is the ugly truth of which we've seen on television at rallies, where protestors are met with physical violence from audience members, as referenced in the new documentary "13TH" directed by Ava DuVernay.
When someone puts themselves in a place of power and speaks so blatantly on topics which our country had tried to grow out of, the people who linger in the back are suddenly given fuel to fire their ignorant opinions. As we fast forward to just last week, I was traveling home and stopped for a quick snack at a rest stop.
As I approached the entrance I noticed a low and intense conversation between a man and woman entering the facility from behind me. The main points I picked out were, "look at those f***'n terrorists with their shoes off, how disgusting." This couple was referencing a group of Muslim men who were outside eating, they were wearing long tunics and hats, but I wouldn't have even noticed them unless it was for this couple. They were standing in the picnic area, minding their own business, these men did nothing to warrant such disgusting comments.
I felt like I was going to be sick, to hear such disdain and hatred for individuals that this couple had never met made me so upset. You hear about this stuff on the news, or on social media, but until you witness it first hand it just doesn't have the same impact.
As tensions rise in this political climate, I wish people would take a step back and evaluate the truth that is looking us in the eyes. We are all humans, equal in value and importance. There are just some individuals who need to better their understanding of others in order to spread peace.
