Last week I wrote on Facebook about something I had discovered that I found disturbing; what, is not relevant here. The point is, I am becoming more and more concerned about the world we are entrusting to our children. I remember growing up in a "Good Christian Home" where I was taught I was not acceptable to "hate" anyone. I'm unsure what is being taught today but I am realizing that if someone thinks differently from you and the issue is important (or not) we can not only hate them but see them as evil. I find this very disturbing.
I have a friend who is currently a Peace Corp Volunteer. In response to my "status" she posted this response: "I believe that there is simply too much thought of violence in our society. Being in South Africa and seeing how hard the Afrikaaners and the blacks are working to build a united country post-Apartheid, it makes me wonder why the USA is only interested in taking the other side down. Can we ever bridge the gap? Maybe when we decide it's important for the future we will." As I read this my hope is that it is not too late. I enjoy listening to Bill Moyer and one time I heard him say I learn the most when I have a guest that thinks differently from me. Difference should not scare us.
So why am I writing about this in a parenting blog? As parents we need to teach our children to not fear difference but to learn from it. This is not only true for our country but it will be true for them in relationships. Yesterday Dr. Debra wrote about Cyber bullying. This contributes to bullying. We want our children to inherit a world that they could be proud to bring up their families, work and play. This kind of division is bad for our children in many ways. I hope we will all take this into account as we contribute to this polarization. Sherri
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