Just say NO to Hatred

There are many things I have done throughout my life that I am not very proud of. I have said some things that were very hurtful to people without any remorse what-so-ever. Being raised in the south, my parents raised me to have certain types of belief. I do not claim to speak for all southerners in this blog post but I can speak for one specific southerner; myself. People with a different pigment of skin were looked down upon, they were seen as people always looking for a handout and certainly were not worthy of my respect. I'm ashamed to admit that for many years I held on to the beliefs of my family and to the southern culture. As I began to mature and began to see the world through the eyes of a man who could think for himself, I began to see people for who they are instead of the color of their skin. I began to see the struggle they faced in life simply because they were different. I remember sitting and watching the movie The Help. This movie made me absolutely sick to my stomach to see how our fellow Americans were treated by my own people. If you have not seen this movie, I would highly recommend it but if you are someone who actually cares about your fellow man it may raise your blood pressure a bit. So be prepared!

The Help was accurately named because it helped me understand the mistreatment of others simply due to the color of their skin. This movie helped me build a deeper love and appreciation for those people who truly lived a life of hell at the hands of their fellow man. 

Tonight I sat and watched another movie that touched that part of me that is ashamed of my past. I sat and watched The Butler. This movie was based on actual accounts of a young black slave in the Macon, Ga in the 1950's. This young man raised himself up through all the hard times to eventually become the most beloved butler in the White House who served President Eisenhower and every other president that followed up to President Obama. I have posted the movie trailer below.

I am proud to call myself a non-theist even though many people do not fully understand what it mean to be such. As a non-theist, I do not hold a belief in any God or God's. I do not need a belief in God to care and love my fellow man. My love and respect does not come from the fear of an invisible sky daddy. It comes from having empathy for others; having the ability to put myself in their shoes. Having empathy allows me to "somewhat" understand and experience what they have gone through.

I'm often looked down upon due to my belief that everyone deserves equal rights. I stand for the equality of all people regardless of race, nationality, sex, religion and sexual orientation. I do not believe that your religious beliefs should dictate or mandate certain laws that effect the rights of others especially if they do not share your religious beliefs.  Each person should be treated equally, white, black, man or woman.