Holidays can be challenging. This year that is particularly so. It’s not really about politicians but about opposing views. Views that either weren’t discussed before because of ‘political correctness’ or because they weren’t ‘top of mind’ – making them easy to ignore.
That is no longer the case.
LGBT rights and marriage equality are again at the forefront of debate.
Immigration has become so entwined with other sub-issues it’s hard to tell the real point.
Non-Christian faiths, as well as non-faiths, are hearing the accusations that they can’t be ‘that’ and American.
Economy, living-wage, feminism, and international politics have become so ‘loaded’ we can’t even agree on what the words mean, much less the ‘solutions.’
It’s very confusing times for those informed as well as those trying to avoid ‘politics.’
But I’ve got news for you. All things are now political.
A friend recently told me she doesn’t have the privilege to avoid politics. She is a minority and just people seeing her walking down the street makes her political.
Many people don’t want to argue, so they just don’t ‘get involved’ in ‘political’ discussions. As a result, people with the loudest mouths are dominating the discussions – both in real life and on social media.
This further pushes people to silence.
But here’s a solution: Questions.
You can provide pushback for stereotypical, racist, sexist, and overall misinformed comments and generalizations.
I saw a post on social media claiming about some issue. I honestly don’t remember what it was about, but I remember the comments.
One person replied, “It’s probably the camel jockeys.”
A second person, in total innocence, asked, “What’s a camel jockey?”
No one responded.
People often throw around such slurs as ‘camel jockey,’ ‘monkey,’ or ‘ape’ these days, but who wants to define or defend them? Not many.
And even if they do, let them dig their own hole.
Ask questions like, “Why do you think that?” “Says who?” “Do you know that is true? How?” “What does that mean?”
Asking questions gives them the opportunity to show their true colors. Even people who would initially support their comments will back off once the topic goes deeper.
Once there is pushback, most people will begin backtracking on their original broad and ugly statement.
We need to start pushing back. We cannot continue to let the comments, real or virtual, go unchallenged.
But we don’t have to argue to give pushback. We can simply ask questions.
Give people the opportunity to explain their position… and hear their own explanations.
These videos are all about bringing awareness to the #LoveGlassesRevolution founded by my close friends Tara Ijai & the CHOICE we all have in every moment to see the world around us through the lens of love, empowerment & joy.
Should this 30-day challenge speak to you & you’d like to join the party:
1. Decide
2. Choose something that speaks to you that is reflective of love (it can be a video, quotes, art, random acts of kindness, reading a page of your favorite book, etc.)
3. Share it! We could all use more of that! The gift is in both the sharing and receiving.
There is no limit to what we can accomplish together if we share a small part of ourselves with each other. That is love. That is being alive.