Peace, Love & Happiness Tour: Part 1

On my morning drive to work, I caught a recap of a speech, the actress, Ellen Page, gave at a recent event for LGBT teens in Vegas. I didn't hear the entire speech, but what caught my attention, was the following quote from her speech:

"And I’m inspired to be in this room because every single one of you is here for the same reason: you’re here because you’ve adopted, as a core motivation, the simple fact that this world would be a whole lot better if we just made an effort to be less horrible to one another."

Let me repeat that last part in case you missed it - this world would be a whole lot better if we just made an effort to be less horrible to one another. 

Such simplicity that it would seem to be common sense. And yet, it's not. Day after day, decade after decade, we find someone to hate. 

I lived in Birmingham, AL for many years, home to one of the most atrocious acts of the civil rights movement - the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church that killed four young girls. Kelly Ingram Park in downtown Birmingham features statues depicting scenes when blacks were held back with firehoses and dogs. It's a stark reminder how our past is tainted with hatred and bigotry.

What is sad to me, is that throughout history, and continually today, people everywhere are having to fight for equality. I applaud the men and women who stand up to oppression and protest for justice. I only wish there was no need for it. Why can't we all just get along? Is that hard to just love thy neighbor? Is it so difficult a concept to grasp, that the majority of people, regardless of race, religion, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or social class just want to live a good, decent life filled with love and happiness? They want to earn an income and be appreciated for their hard work. They want to provide for their families. They want to fall in love. They want the same chance at success as anyone else. Nobody got to pick their lot in life. All they can do is play the hand that was dealt to them.

Stop being horrible to each other.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--