This New Political Clime

I had hoped that today would be one where angry words,  accusational posts, and articles of hate would have ceased. I should have known better. Another day (or week or month) where I am going to have to skim past my friends angry and hateful posts because people have forgotten to be KIND and loving to each other. Because it seems that hate and fear now rule the media and social network. And reading hate, fear, and anger make me sick to my stomach because I know that I became friends with these people because there was a time when I witnessed joy and love and kindness in them.

Kids, when will it stop? When will we realize that a president cannot protect our families? Our daughters and our sons? A government official cannot cause hate and divisiveness to come into our homes. He/she cannot bring it into our schools. He cannot turn on our televisions and teach our children hate and fear. When will we realize that our children are not born to hate. They do not grow up learning hate because of who's in charge In the White House. They do not learn fear there either. WE are responsible for teaching who our children grow up loving or hating, not anyone else. WE bring hate and fear into our homes with what we say and do and teach. If we hate other people for their political views, our children will too. If we hate other people because their religious beliefs are different than ours, our children will too. WE are responsible. No. One. Else.
If you actually believe this president will cause your children to be in danger, then you have given up the responsibility of raising your children. If you believe that his "warmongering" and "hate towards women, LGBT, Hispanics, Muslims" etc. will be the end of our nation, then you need to look in the mirror.
WHO is in charge of your home?
WHO is in charge of keeping your children safe?
WHO is in charge of your life?
WHO is in charge of your heart, your mind, your ability to show love and kindness to another human being?
Not any president whether man or woman. Not any government leader.
YOU are.
 Just you.
So if you are angry and hurt and fearful and divisive, you are showing your children that that is how it is going to be. And how it should be.
Please stop. Stop the hate. Stop the fear.
Instead spread kindness and love to your fellow human being.
It starts with us.
 It always has.
Not some guy in the white building in another state.
This hate and fear and evil that I see spread across the media and coming from my friends is not who we are.
Please. Just stop.
Stop for a moment and listen to your heart.
Is this who you are?
Is this what you want for your children?
It's up to you. Not anyone else.
Make. It. Stop.

Be the Peace the World Needs

For you younger kids, the world was not always so ugly as it is now. 

I grew up in a time when there was peace. 

You could play outside with your friends until the street lights came on. 

If we got a really good snow, (up in Seattle area) you could play ALL night, sledding (my mom was cool that way). 

You could walk to and from school (1.5 miles, literally uphill both ways. REALLY) without fear of people kidnapping you. 

We walked to the mall, biked all over the place, hung out at friend's house without fear. 

TV was only scary if you watched Dark Shadows (google it), or Nightmare Theater on Friday nights. 

No, there wasn't internet, thankfully. But we still had fun.

And if you wanted to talk on the phone, you had to be home to do it, and attached to whatever room the phone was in. And it was still fun.

We weren't suspicious of our neighbors. 

I didn't care if the kids I went to school with were any different color than I was. They were still my friends.

I didn't care if I had friends that liked someone that was the same sex they were. I never noticed. I didn't care. They were still my friends. 

We had hippies, and guys my dad called "Ferlas" (fellas and girls- they were guys with long hair. My dad thought he was funny haha).

People didn't sue other people because they could. 

If you accidentally bumped into someone's car in a parking lot, they looked at the car, said "No problem!" and drove away.

It was really a very happy, safe place to be.

Guns aren't what has made the world so scary because we had them in the world when I was growing up too. We weren't afraid.

It is humans that have made this world so scary. Evil, mean, thoughtless, hateful humans. Humans who hate other humans because of their lifestyle, because of their color, because of their religion. Humans who prey on the weak because they can. Humans who take pleasure in hurting other people because it gives them power. 

And it makes me so sad. 

We need to be the ones to make the change if we are going to see any change. 

Stop hating other people. 

Stop being rude to other people. 

Stop hating someone because they don't agree with your politics or your lifestyle or your religion. 

Or you don't agree with theirs. 

That is still wrong. 

You want acceptance and tolerance? Then BE accepting and tolerant. To EVERYONE.

Peace starts with us.

Be accepting of other people. Show love for other people. 

We were born to love, not hate. 

When did we decide that hate was a better choice?