Recently, bullying against homosexuals (and those thought to be homosexual) has been a huge issue in the news, on my college's campus, and nearly everywhere else. For me, this speaks not of an issue of people not accepting this particular group or their lifestyle- homosexuals and homosexuality- but in a more pervasive issue that is what truly demands attention, thought, and action.
I hear, day in and day out, in other's words and my own, in my thoughts and other's writings, in songs, movies, books, and articles, hate. We are today incredibly adept at demeaning others (to their face and behind of it) with no qualms or second thoughts. It seems that we all begin on a simple level- thoughtless reactions to preconceived feelings about alternative beliefs, lifestyles, etc. We thoughtlessly make fun of what might be another's most sacred concept. Because the progression of lack of respect for others at this point is not too advanced, we are able to feel guilt if the wrongness of our action somehow strikes us; we might even regret our actions or words. Soon, however, such inhibitions slip away. The modern man-" free" of their own "judgmental tendencies"- I.E., religion and belief in core values- is set loose to ridicule whatever and whomever we desire (and how alluring it is!). It becomes second nature to lack empathy... And then...
We easily- gladly, sometimes- arrive at the logical end of all this: we become murderers. Yes, murderers. Those who drove any of those teenagers/young adults to kill themselves are, for all intents and purposes, their very murderers. They supplied the ammo to what may have already been a depressive personality's "gun," they feared not the consequences of their heartlessness, and they show no remorse for the blood splattered all over their hands, heart, and mouth. They brought them there, they left them there, and then, most cruelly of all, felt no guilt over the loss of a precious human.
This problem is UNIVERSAL. It cannot be solved only by promoting tolerance for gays. It must be combated, as much as possible, individually. We must choose to love others; we must try with all we have to survive the hardships we inflict upon each other so that one day we may conquer those tendencies and lead another to do the same. It's not a perfect solution... But nothing on this Earth was ever perfect since about 33 AD.
And it's about time we really began to look into the message that perfect man had. Life is not quite life if you lack the most basic human quality: love.
