America, Uncomfortably Yours
A PSA for the Sensible and/or Concerned Patriot
Disclaimer: I might offend a lot of people. Get over it.
Hey, hardline conservatives (or as liberals call you: nazis/alt-right/white supremacists) and ultra liberals (or as conservatives call you: communists, snowflakes, dirty hippies), it’s you extreme righty or lefty f*cks who are burning this country down. Those of you who are so opinionated and polarized that you can’t see anything except your own party line. You hear “the other side” saying something and you immediately decide it’s “fake news” or not true.
You wanna know a big reason why our country is going through so much right now? People don’t know how to truly communicate anymore. Instead, they get in their feelings and shut down. I’m not just talking about millennials looking for a safe space, either. I’ve met just as many Gen Xers and Baby Boomers who whine more than people my age (I'm 25, for reference's sake) and won’t listen to anything that makes them uncomfortable.
The conversations that we need to have in this country are supposed to be uncomfortable. When you acknowledge that something needs to be fixed, it’s pretty much never a smooth process. Politics will probably always be messy, and the two party system doesn’t really help, IMO. The fact that I have to tell people I’m unaffiliated to have a “normal” political conversation is ridiculous. This whole red vs. blue thing has really gotten out of hand. It’s like y’all need an “other” or a “them” to rail against just to survive. It really doesn’t need to be like that. Instead of being at each other’s throats, why don’t we find the points we agree on and go from there? This is such a simple concept, yet it seems there are so many unwilling to concede even the smallest points. Compromise is a beautiful thing, if done properly. Not everyone is going to get what they want all the time, so why don’t we make sure everyone at least gets a little something??
Now the fun part: let’s talk race.
White people: I know you don’t want to talk about race, but we have to, so suck it up. It’s not a fun conversation to be had, but systemic racism is a thing and so is privilege. Privilege doesn’t mean you were born with a silver spoon up your behind, nor does it mean you’re rich. It means you live in a society that very much does see color, and while affirmative action, diversity hires, and minority scholarships are a thing, I guarantee you that you feel much safer when pulled over by a cop than a minority does. No amount of money stops racial profiling by law enforcement (see: Black grad student arrested for “stealing” his own car...apparently it was too nice for him to be driving. See: GA officer telling woman that they only go after black people. See: Rodney King, Tamir Rice, Phillando Castille, Trayvon Martin, etc.).
Black people: not all white people are racist, and if you keep accusing them of such, of course no one will want to start a dialogue. Think about it. Have you ever been accused of something or lumped into a big group that you didn’t actually have anything to do with? Yeah, going into something with an automatic accusation of guilt doesn’t feel good (ahem, most minorities in the court system). So if you know that doesn’t feel good, why continue to perpetuate something that has been done to you already? Be a bigger person and start the conversation.
ALL people who hate the law: police officers have a right to life, just like the rest of us. Yes, there are cowards and bullies that hide behind a badge, just like there are ones who hide behind a keyboard. One bad apple does not make the whole batch. It is absolutely imperative to know your rights and to be able to know how to handle a situation with a police officer, but mutual respect will go a long way to make sure a situation doesn't escalate. If you aren't doing anything wrong, just be open, respectful, and polite. I know many law enforcement officials from my time in the Army National Guard (many reservists and guardsmen come from all sides of the law) and they are good people with beautiful families. The individuals who use a badge to terrorize are the worst kind of people because they stain the reputation of law enforcement as a whole. This puts the officers who might be legitimately trying to do good and make a positive impact seriously behind the 8-ball. Imagine wanting to be a police officer your entire life because you want to do good. Now imagine, upon achieving said goal, you are met with nothing but contempt and hatred by the society you wished to protect. Again, I'm not saying there aren't troublemakers in law enforcement, but I would caution against labeling an entire group, lest they become what you initially feared. If you don't like the laws of this country, find a way to change them (whether that be through protest or physical action/litigation), drop off the grid/go somewhere else, or stop complaining. As long as our social contract dictates that we need to follow laws to maintain order, that's what we signed up for, and police officers are needed to enforce that. Until that changes, getting mad at an individual for doing their job POORLY is acceptable, but putting hatred towards someone for just DOING their job isn't.
Last, but not least, we’ve got religion. This one should be a no-brainer, but we get this one wrong the most. I’m gonna post this in big, bold, letters. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS NOT A CHRISTIAN COUNTRY (there is no official religion in the USA for those of you who didn’t know), CHURCH AND STATE SHOULD BE SEPARATED, and RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE SHOULD BE THE NORM. Listen, not all Muslims are terrorists, just like not all super conservative Christians are neo-nazis. It’s called EXTREMISM for a reason. The people that are committing atrocious acts are sick and only using religion as an excuse to strike fear in the hearts of others. They are EXTREME (see: not normal AKA only a very tiny portion or group of people) and usually not accepted by the group they claim to be from. ISIS or any extremist group is not representative of Islam as a whole just like white supremacy and nazis don’t represent Christianity.
The core teaching of almost all religions is LOVE. Jesus wasn’t a Christian, Buddha wasn’t a Buddhist, and Muhammad wasn’t a Muslim. They all taught love and compassion, not religious dogma. Let’s take a page from the ascended masters and stop fighting so much and try to love each other more/find some common ground.
Fighting ANY war (see: turmoil in the Middle East, war on drugs, war on poverty, etc.) for peace is like trying to relieve yourself in a broken toilet—that sh*t isn’t going anywhere. Maybe it's time for a different approach.
One Love, One Truth,
Panda Hirabayashi
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About the Creator
Panda Hirabayashi
25 year old meditation teacher and Reiki Master living in Atlantic Beach, Florida. I like to do things with my hands and feet; which may include, but are not limited to: writing, playing basketball, creating, and dancing poorly.
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