Peace and bullies

In the same week, the world paid homage to what would have been John Lennon's 70th birthday and bullying was one of the top news stories. We publicize the tragedy of youth who commit suicide because others have bullied them to the point where they see no other escape. However, we ignore the fact that as a country we promote bullying on a local, national, and international level. In the same breath we create laws that promote racial profiling, restrict who can marry whom, and claim to support individual freedom. We wage a war, that at its core, tries to conform a culture we don't understand to be more like ours, and yet cry out in rage when our own youth torture each other until suicide seems the only option. We fail to recognize that our spoken values often categorically diverge from our actions. We ignore the fact that we demonstrate the behavior on a daily basis that we abhor in our classrooms.

Today, when religion has become political and expressions of faith bring the assumptions of others, I am hopeful when I hear groups across faiths express the desire for peace. In the words of the Baptist missionary, Robbi Rancovich, "The world is too big for anything but truth, and too small for anything but love." Stand up for what you believe in. Support the rights of others. Embrace differences. Through silence, we condone the acts of others. Speak up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-NRriHlLUk&feature=related