Bothered

The greatest obstacle to discovering the shape of the earth, the continents and the ocean was not ignorance but the illusion of knowledge. ~Daniel J. Boorstin 

I am really tired of the judgment, willful ignorance and hate that keeps showing its ugly face lately. Part of me thinks that someone who would attack a Sikh temple (based on the men wearing turbans? who knows) just doesn't know any better and grew up learning this type of judgment. But the other part of me thinks that we should ALL make an effort to know better. And not the condescending/ white man's burden type of "know." I mean valuing cultures and differences because that is what makes this world so cool. Growing up in a small southern town, this has been a process for me too. It took a while for me to realize how lucky I was to be born to the family I have in the United States and a while longer to realize that MOST people on this planet don't have this luxury. There are some universal human rights that should be upheld of course, but besides that, I have been trying not to put my own values or priorities on people different than myself. Even people whose actions or beliefs I don't agree with at all... I try to remember that they started as a little child, living in X environment, being taught X by their family around them. And this goes both ways with others judging our open society. Oh man, why can't we all just get along :)

Ok finished with my rant.