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By Anthony Whitacre
By Anthony Whitacre
I’m so perfect. Yet, this semester has been anything but me…perfect that is.
We have suffered. The school has suffered a blow.
I’m not talking about us all dying and becoming emotionally unavailable like one of my ex’s.
Riverside City College has suffered an emotional blow though.
The students and staff have been victim. Each in their own little way.
How you ask?
Intolerance. Racism. Segregation.
Typically our humanity has been put at stake.
The events of the born again Christian Paul Mitchell who came to RCC claiming that all the students were sinners and that God did not love us proved how much religious intolerance is on this campus.
People attacked him because they did not want to hear that they were wrong or that they were going to hell. Instead of just nodding politely and walking away they cornered him and played who can shout the loudest about God abandoning the human race.
Being one who is so pure and innocent I felt that this guy was more than a little harsh in his words about God. I’m sorry but God loves me. Who wouldn’t? I’m so darn adorable.
Then the Islamic protest by the so called “Truth Defenders” who only seemed interested in starting fights with the crowd. The people gathered with signs of protests and angry cries shouting for justice and freedom.
There was so much intolerance this semester.
Also during the Mexican Boycott on May 1. When many Mexican American citizens decided to segregate themselves from America during the protest, then praise the idea that it was all right to start a war between themselves and the country they sought freedom to live in.
It really got me thinking. So much has gone on within this campus. In this city. So many lives have been carelessly discarded because of others who thought nothing of the people they crushed.
Humanity.
It’s what separates us from animals. We have the ability to feel, to judge and to love. We do not just run on instinct anymore. We’re not cavemen, you silly gooses!
We’re people.
Now I know a lot of people are hurting. Some feel like no one cares about them, like they’re the only ones in the world with the weight of the world on their shoulders.
This isn’t true.
This pain is everybody’s burden. Except mine because perfect people don’t carry heavy things.
Except this one time, we went on a trip to Vegas and I had so many suitcases it was so not funny. My friends helped me out though, when they saw I was practically falling over.
Isn’t that what we all are after all? Friends? Maybe even family.
Families don’t usually go to war against one another.
A family should stick together and have each others backs in a crisis.
Instead of intolerance we should all embrace those who are hurting and in need of our help. To show them that they are not alone in this world.
That harsh preacher guy was wrong in his approach but he had a right to say what he believed. Instead of attacking him people should have just walked away and not cared. He would have gone away by himself.
The Islamic protest? On the other side of the cafeteria, was a quaint little conference for Islamic Awareness. The people sat peacefully and quietly as the speaker spoke about Islam. It was amazing. There were no signs or squawking protesters. It was so peaceful.
The Mexican boycott on the other hand. People are still feeling out where they stand on this issue. Some don’t care but we’re talking about people’s lives here. Why wouldn’t you care?
Everyone needs to look within their own hearts and find out what’s truly there. Look for the humanity that is being crushed underneath all the problems that are causing such mayhem.
If everyone went off to go fight a war what would happen to this world?
Can you hear Arnold saying, “Hasta la vista…baby.”
Also, if the world ends up fighting some dumb war based on racism and intolerance you can bet that my butt is staying home because perfect people don’t fight stupid wars.