We Are The Shoes

Yesterday I wrote a post for Momfaze about bigotry and homophobia.  Hate comes from ignorance. Ingorance of those who aren’t the same as us, who don’t share the same values, appearance, beliefs or yes, for sure, religion.  Hate begets prejudice, which leads alienation, intolerance, violence, bullying, and  propaganda.

Hate led to the Holocaust.  Millions of people died because of hate and the inability to see beyond someone’s religion, their race, their political views, and yes, their sexual orientation.

Many more than the 6 million Jews we all talk about were murdered because they were considered different, enemies of the state, or ‘unnatural’:

Ukrainians      5.5 – 7 million
Russian POWs    3.3 million +
Russian Civilians       2 million +
Poles   3 million +
Yugoslavians    1.5 million +
Gypsies 200,000 – 500,000
Mentally/Physically Disabled    70,000- 250,000
Homosexuals     Tens of thousands
Spanish Republicans     Tens of thousands
Jehovah’s Witnesses     2,500 – 5,000
Boy and Girl Scouts, Clergy, Communists, Czechs, Deportees, Greeks, Political Prisoners, Other POWs, Resistance Fighters, Serbs, Socialists, Trade Unionists, Others    Unknown numbers

(source: http://www.ukemonde.com/holocaust/victims.html)

One Million Moms urges their members to boycott organizations like JC Penney and Urban Outfitters because they feel they are ‘Pro-Gay’ and may negatively influence their children.  Where is the line between the intolerance and homophobia there pushing and full-scale persecution or hate-mongering?

It all starts with just one message, one demonstration, one charismatic leader. Before you can blink the whole world can just just turn upside down.

We need to stand up against prejudice and raise our hearts towards love and acceptance.

Hate can turn the beauty in our world into ugliness.  Teach your children to remember.