This World: Part I

This world makes me sad. In the past two weeks, we have heard some pretty miserable things in the news: the sentencing of Brock Turner and the mass shooting in Pulse, a gay nightclub in Florida, that left at least 50 people dead and more injured, just to name two events.

This world makes me angry. Angry that a kid who committed a terrible crime, who violated a woman’s privacy in the worst way possible, only received six months jail time. I am angry that his father said it was only “20 minutes of action,” and those 20 minutes were not even worth the 6 months in jail. It makes me angry that there are people who do not understand what rape is, or why it is so incredibly wrong, or why Brock Turner is a criminal, not a kid who simply made a mistake. It makes me angry and hurts my heart when people try to blame the victim, or make rape seem like it’s not a big deal, especially when that rape victim could have been anyone, or could be anyone. It could have me. It could have been you. It could have been my little sister, or your best friend. It makes me sad that anyone could think that is case is an injustice to Mr. Turner, who thinks the judge had any justification to give Turner YEARS below the standard minimum sentence for a rape case. It makes me ashamed that there will be many more victims of sexual assault who will not receive the justice they deserve.

I feel sick to my stomach when I read about the attack on Pulse. When I read that people are congratulating the shooter and deeming him a hero because it was members of the LGBT community who were killed. When did it ever become justified to kill someone because they disagreed with you? You have every right to disagree. That’s fine. But when did any one religion, or morality, or whatever you believe in, say that killing others was the solution? From what I have been taught, at the very least, you hate the SIN, but love the SINNER. Who cares who I love, or who you love? Shouldn’t we just be happy that there is still love in this stormy world we live in? This hate crime was one of the largest mass shootings in U.S. history. In addition, we are arguing about Islam and guns, and sometimes claiming that homosexuals do not deserve to live, let alone deserve to love. Why can’t people understand that these people who died had lives, loved ones, families? Now those families, loved ones, lives, friends, are all shattered and broken because of one man’s hatred, and people are congratulating the shooter for it. When did the world become like this? Or have I always been to blind to see it?

I’ve had a few lines from Disney’s "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" stuck in my head for the past few days. I know, an odd thing, but I think Quasimodo made an interesting point: “All my life you’ve told me the world is a dark, cruel place. But now I see that the only thing dark and cruel about it is people like you.” What I mean is that right now, that’s the world looks like. That’s what we’re being told it is: a dark, cruel place where innocents die and no one is happy. But perhaps the only thing dark and cruel about this world are those people who only exist to spread the hate they feel in their hearts and souls.

But Esmerelda is right: “I thought we all were the children of God.” For those who believe in God, doesn’t He say to love thy neighbor as yourself? By all means, disagree with said neighbor. No one ever said you had to agree with them, but we are still called to treat each other kindly. Even if you don’t believe in a higher being, don’t we all deserve to be happy? To be treated with respect, because we are all fellow humans? Is that too much to ask of this world?

This world makes me sad and angry at its injustice and cruelty, and I wish things could change. And maybe they can. But maybe what needs to change first is our outlook on our world.

This World: Part II

This world makes me happy. I have an incredible family and the greatest friends I could ask for. I have a place to come home to and people to laugh with and share my life with and learn with. I have friends who support me and love me no matter what. I have fuzzy animals to snuggle with (even if they wriggle away after a moment—jerks).

This world is full of beauty. Think of all the music we’ve heard, all the art we’ve seen, all the sunrises and sunsets we’ve watched. Think of all the people we’ve met, and all the wonderful moments we’ve had with them—the laughs, the hugs, the kisses, the joy. Think of the breathtaking sites we’ve seen: from the top of that mountain we just climbed, or plane when we flew for the first time, the beach at sunset, or even the view from the passenger side window of the car as we drive along an old country road.

This world is full of knowledge. There is so much that we as a people do not know yet, and are continuing to discover. From ancient history to modern science, there are millions of years of knowledge the earth has to give us. And it is right at our fingertips, and not just with the Internet. Think of the mountains we can climb, the rivers we can explore, the historical sites to marvel at. It’s all there, just for us.

This world is full of adventure, because in order to get the knowledge we want, sometimes we have to explore, go on an adventure. Think of the mountains that we can climb. The caves to see. The lakes to dive into. Even small adventures count—that 2am run to McDonalds, or the impromptu trip to the mall with the girls, or even to run an errand across campus. Marvel in the little adventures we fill our days with.

This world is full of life. Right now, a couple is going on their honeymoon. Tomorrow, a young woman is getting married to the man of her dreams. Right now, a father is teaching his son how to read. A grandmother is teaching a child how to garden, or how to bake cookies. Someone just graduated college, or high school. Someone just climbed to the peak of Mount Everest and is on top of the whole world. An athlete broke a school record this season. A boy was just kissed for the first time. A couple just told each other “I love you.” A baby is being born as I write this, as you read it. There is life everywhere around us.

This world is full of love and kindness. We see every day. Every single day. In the eyes of our parents and family and friends and in so many other places. Someone held the door open for you yesterday. Someone just walked into to their surprise party. Someone made you lunch. A father helped their daughter study late into the night before an exam (thanks, Dad). A professor helped you with that paper you couldn’t figure out how to write, and answered that email that you sent at 11pm. Someone just helped another crossed the street, or is giving money and clothes and food to people who need it. Someone just paid for another’s meal. Two people just exchanged a compliment. There are small acts of kindness and love that weave around us all day and every day.

My point is that the world is not as dark and cruel as we sometimes think it is, as we’re being told it is. I know Part 1 of this article was miserable to read. Believe me, it was miserable to write, and every word I wrote there I meant. But I also mean every word in Part II. I am starting to learn that even though there is evil in the world, there’s also a lot of good in it too, and sometimes, that’s what we really have to focus on (thank you to Mom and J. for helping me realize that).

There is evil in this world. There always has been, and there probably always will be. But good has been here just as long, and I know it won’t die. We have to acknowledge the bad, and try to change it. When we can’t change it, or can’t change it anymore, we have to focus on something good, so we don’t lose ourselves to the shadows.

So I challenge all of us, myself included, to focus on the good. To fight for love and peace and share our goodness and kindness with the world. To go on an adventure. To help a friend, and to help a stranger. To find the love we all deserve. To overcome the cruelty that this world deals out sometimes. To respect each other’s differences, even if we disagree. To see the other side of an argument.

Above all, my friends, I challenge us all to something Cinderella’s mother said: Have courage, and be kind. Look on the bright side, and spread much love, lots of kindness, and great courage. I think, if we all do that, we can bring great change to this world.