What is this world coming to! When did we get so dramatic and over sensitive. I must question, why now?

I feel like we’re in the twilight zone spiraling straight into Farenheight 451 by Ray Bradbury. At what point is enough enough. Will we be burning books next? Will statues of Jesus be removed because it offends other religions? Will they rewrite history because it’s offensive? Why after all these years are we making an issue about this? Ok, put the statues in a museum, don’t decapitate them! Be civilized human beings! Teach our future generations about past atrocities so we don’t repeat them! Can’t we embrace the past and look at how far we’ve come? We’re not the same society of years gone by. We’ve adapted and grown. We’ve learned from our mistakes and still have corrections to make.

Please don’t continue this witch hunt, tearing down statues … defacing veterans memorials… banning movies because they’re offensive.

What started this rant was my favorite movie, Gone with the Wind, was banned from a local theater because it was labeled offensive since it depicts slavery. How about we watch the movie to appreciate the progressive cinematography or the beautifully written love story set in the South, depicting southern pride. Do we ban all Civil War movies too? Undeniably, slavery was an atrocity on African Americans. But there are many other atrocities, what about the colonists killing Native Americans? Do we ban Colonial movies too? Italian immigrants were profiled during WWII, considered “enemy aliens”. There were interment camps for the Japanese, do we ban WWII movies? The list of atrocities goes on and on.

There are many blemishes on our society. We cannot act like they never happened. There’s no need to sweep it under the rug because it’s not politically correct. Recognize the atrocities, make course corrections. Yes, we have a long way to go but look at how far we’ve come. It takes time and perseverance. Think about it, if the Nazis had won WWII, most of us wouldn’t be here without the exception of their skewed version of society.

Isn’t that a scary thought!Those spewing hatred can live in their hateful world alone. There are laws to protect those who they view as inferior. We are all entitled to our beliefs can’t we respectfully disagree and go our separate ways? Let love overshadow hate! There are more kind and generous human beings filled with love than those filled with hate. Hate begets hate. Let love and kindness be our focus while changing lives by being good to others. It takes the same energy to be loving vs hateful. Which world do you want to live in?

Diversity is what makes this country great, the melting pot society. We’re all entitled to our opinions; All lives matter! Humanity matters. Be kind. Look out for your fellow man. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but be respectful of their differences. Help your neighbor. We learn as we go along.

Let me just say, my father came here as a 16 yo Italian immigrant. He was discriminated against, took low paying jobs because he was uneducated. He worked hard labor, factory work. He didn’t get to go to school because he couldn’t afford it yet he learned the language. During WWII, he was considered an “enemy alien” yet he fought in WWII even though he could have claimed conflict. He worked hard, raised a family and made an honest life while living the American dream.

Believe in goodness and love. Be tolerant. Recognize how far we’ve come. Work towards a better future. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Admittedly we have a long way to go before we have utopia but let’s make a difference one day at a time. Let’s strive to be compassionate human beings. If u feel the need to stand up for your cause then get out and do something instead of taking a knee at a game or yelling about it. Look at Chance the rapper who has made donations and set up educational opportunities for inner city children in Chicago. Stand up for injustice by doing something productive instead of screaming or whinnying about it! Volunteer, teach an intercity kid to read, go build a hud house, or help out at your local food pantry. Personally, I don’t feel obligated to right every wrong of generations past. What I do feel is volunteering is the answer. Volunteer time or money. It’s about peaceful coexistence! Be respectful of others.

Imagine the magnitude of choosing peace!