Accept differences, don't accept intolerance

When did we start making other people's business our business? 

Right. Since the dawn of time. Otherwise, WTF, anarchy would ensue. I get it. Society does need some rules. Fair.  And that’s why we have governments. Fair. Pay taxes. Fair. The intent is to keep anarchy at bay. Fair. And living in a democratic society, the supposition is that if the government sets rules and we don’t like those rules, we, the people, can vote in a different government and change those rules. Again, fair.

I believe in the freedom of speech. Of living in a society where you can hold beliefs and advocate for them. To a point. What point? To the point that your beliefs do not impact the beliefs of others.

Full stop. 

Here’s the thing. What you believe and what I believe might be vastly different. And we can respectfully agree to disagree. That’s what makes us individuals. It’s what makes the world an interesting place. But spewed hatred towards anyone is not OK. It’s not OK to hate someone for their ethnicity, for their gender, for their religion, for their sexuality. It’s not OK to advocate for violence towards anyone for any reason. 

It’s not OK to tell someone what they can and cannot do with their bodies. Transitioning, abortion, expressing sexuality different than heterosexuality. If it’s not happening to you directly, it’s not OK to tell someone what they can and cannot do. It's not OK to ostracize. It’s not OK to be intolerant. 

Everyone is a human being. It’s not OK to treat them with anything other than respect.

Social media is full of stories and opinions about everything that’s happening in the world. My own social media has friends with polarizing opinions expressing them. People are all over the board with their views and I sometimes get whiplash as I read comments. 

Strong traditional religious views. Strong, progressive liberal views. Valid points to all of them. 

Living in Canada, we are heavily influenced by what’s happening in other countries, especially our direct southern neighbours. We currently have more liberal views and policies, in general, but I find that in some parts of the country we are experiencing a shift in culture, a shift in less tolerance and more government interference. Supposedly because of the will of the people but definitely not the will of everyone. 

Personally, I think we’ve fought hard for the rights of everyone to be recognized; however, we still have a long way to go. I just hope that as we work towards a society that works for all of us, we don’t slip into a society that works for the minority of us. We need to stick to making our business our business.

Peace and love ✌️