Infinite Hope

                I’ve started and erased this blog five times now with two different (three counting this) topics. None of my words are sounding right. None of my topics seem good enough.  I don’t know. Just happens some days.

                I started talking to my friend about faith last night. Not faith as in religion, just faith as in belief. It’s an odd part of human nature: the need to believe in something. Before you jump at me and say lots of people don’t believe in anything. That’s a lie. Everyone believes in something deep down. Whether they believe in a higher power, or they just believe that they’re gonna make it, they believe in something. They have faith in something. Faith is believing in something intangible, that’s it. My belief that humanity can better itself is a form of faith. My belief that I’m going to make it through all the bad in my life is a form of faith. I have faith in those things because I can’t prove them! I can’t know for sure that humanity will better itself, I just have faith that it will! I know that humanity can, I’ve seen that it can, but will it? There’s always that question that lingers over everything.

                What does faith do for us? What can believing in something that we can never prove give us? It gives us hope. Hope is something powerful and wonderful! Hope is beautiful! Hope can get us out of bed in the morning and hope can change the world. Faith is a beautiful thing. It can give strength to those who lack it, it can give people a sense of family when they don’t have one, and it can lift the fallen back to their feet. Faith can give us hope and life.

                Faith can also destroy, and lead to fanaticism. I know this, but I’m not going to talk about it, because I want to stay positive. It’s my blog, I can do what I want.

                I told my friend something that I have faith in, and she told that it was risky. But that’s what faith is. Faith is a risk. Faith isn’t a sure thing! It can blow up on you at any given second; something can happen that can shatter it. But that’s the point of faith. If there were no risks, we wouldn’t need faith. If don’t need faith, that means we know all the answers, and if we have all the answers, what’s the point?

                Faith is the great adventure. Faith inspires us to new heights. Faith takes us to new things; faith leads us to new discoveries. Faith can change the world. If we have faith that the world can change, we can make those changes. That may sound controversial, but it’s true: why would someone try to make a change if they didn’t believe that it could happen?

                I have faith that the world can become a better place. I have faith that people are inherently good as a whole. I have faith that the good people in the world outnumber the bad. I say all of this in light of the all the recent tragedies. I say this in full remembrance of the Paris terror attacks, of the terror attacks in Egypt, Nigeria, Turkey, Chad, Niger, Pakistan, Iraq, Cameroon, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Israel, Australia, Canada, USA, and every other country. I say this in light of the 729 terror attacks that have happened worldwide in 2016. I say this in the light of the recent hate crimes against my community. In light of all the racial tensions. In light of all the hate. I say this in light of all the bad that is happening in the world. I have faith in humanity. That faith is tested every single day, but it remains.

                If I didn’t have this faith in humanity, I would give up. Who would want to live in a world like this if there was no hope, no chance, of change? I believe there is hope. I wake up every morning believing that the world can become a better place. I have to.

                As Martin Luther King Jr once said, “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

Fighting the fights

     Wow. You guys really like it when I put swears in my titles. I'll remember that. That being said, I'm really glad you guys enjoyed that post.
      I was playing Rocket League with a friend last night, we were having a good time, and then he called something "gay". I was about to say something about that when he suddenly called himself on it. He went on to to try and figure out why he uses the term "gay" to mean something bad. He was doing this all himself! He was self-diagnosing why he said something. As with most people, he came to the conclusion that it was a hold-over from his youth, and he made the conscious decision to quit using "gay" as a substitute for "bad" or "sucks".
      I mention this because as activists, it is very easy to get mad and go after someone for a slip of the tongue, or a regression to their youth. It doesn't excuse the action, but it does explain it. And, like my friend, I am sure many (not all) of the people who use these derogatory terms are not using them from a place of hate, merely a place of ignorance or familiarity. Like old people with their causal racism, we most gently remind these people that there are other, better words to use, and that by using words like "gay", "retarded", racial terms, etc., they could unintentionally hurting people. If the person is using them without ill-intent, they will be understanding and attempt to make a change.
     If the person reacts negatively and calls you a "f****t liberal pussy" (as has happened to me, far too many times), that is when you can get upset and angry.
      As activists, we must react calmly and rationally to these things. If we get angry at the slightest perceived slight, we lose our credibility, and we become part of the problem. We become toddlers having a tantrum, making things worse instead of better. We give the bigots more ammunition to fire at the "SJWs", and we make our position seem weak and ineffectual.
       On a side note, I kinda agree with Felicia Day when it comes to the term "SJW"": since when is calling someone a warrior an insult? Hell yeah I fight for social justice.
      We must face injustices with serenity. We must answer hateful screaming with calm conversation. If we scream back at those against us, all we do is add to the noise. Too often we excuse the casual hate from our friends and family, we too easily forgive it and don't say anything. But if we can't have a meaningful conversation with those closest to us on these matters, if we can't get them to listen to us, what chance have we with the world entire?
      So the next time your friend says something is "gay", or a relative makes a racist remark, say something to them. Tell them that they shouldn't say that, and explain why. If they're a good, decent person, they'll listen and try to change. And if they aren't a good and decent person? Cut them out of your life. Don't become an audience to their hate simply because you feel a familial obligation to them. Just cut them out. Just because someone is family doesn't mean you need to listen to them or like them. Hell, there's a full side of my family that I only see at funerals.
      Fill your life with positive people, and you will be making a positive change to the world. Fill your life with positive people, and you will be more effective at making positive changes to those around you. And most of all, be a positive person yourself. Honestly believe in the fights you take; don't pick up a banner for a cause just because it's trending. Fight the fights you believe in, and only those. 

A Better Tomorrow

      I had a discussion recently about whether or not humanity can better itself, or if it's destined to burn in the fires of its own making. Scientifically speaking, the Earth will burn up with the death of our star, but that's not for five billion+ years. Humanity seems to be in a pretty bad place right now: civil wars, riots, race crimes, terrorism, Donald Drumpf. Just watching an hour of news can be enough to crush the human spirit and believe that we, as a species, are doomed. The news always focuses on the negative though, there are positives out there! Humanity is slowly making things better. The key word there is "slowly"! A lot of people can't see that because we like our changes to be instant and flashy! Not slow and methodical.
       Equal Rights activists scored a major victory this past year with marriage equality becoming federal law in the States. Canada is becoming the beacon of peace and unity that it is known for again with the election of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The Human Rights crisis that are the Syrian refugees are being taken in and accepted by countries all over the world, in spite of the fear and hate mongering of ignorant people. Governments all over the globe are coming together to fight climate change. The word of scientists is becoming stronger than the words of corporations. China is becoming more open to western culture. Michael Bay has said the next Transformers will be his last one as director. The world is looking up. Humanity is well on its way to bettering itself.
       My generation, the often made fun of millennials, are actively trying to make the world a better place! Every day, people from my generation, people who are called lazy and entitled by previous generations, are going out and putting their lives on the line for those less fortunate. Every day millennials are going to other countries to do charity work, to build schools, to dig wells, to do whatever they can to help. We are actively trying to fix the previous generations mistakes. We are marching in the streets to support causes as diverse as #BlackLivesMatter to marriage equality. We are marching in the streets to show support for the common people. We, as a generation, are more accepting of others than previous generations, and if this positive trend continues, if we instill our beliefs and morals into the next generation, step by step the world will become a better place.
        For every story the news shows of a small group defacing a mosque or attacking someone for being different, there are dozens of unreported stories of the people that come and help. Of the people who are showing love. There's a military town in Alberta where a mosque was defaced. The windows broken, and the words "Go home" spray painted multiple times on the building. Two men were responsible for that act of hate. The majority of the community, including military personnel, showed up to help repair the broken windows and clean off the vandalism. People, throughout the day, stopped by the mosque with homemade posters saying "You are home" and messages of love and acceptance. The evil people in this world are outnumbered by the good. The world is becoming a more accepting and loving place. Change is a slow process, it always has been. It took 12 million years for the Grand Canyon to form, we can't expect the change in humanity to happen over night.
        I am sticking with this fight. I believe in the inherent goodness of humankind. I can't let the evil win. I cannot stand by as people get hurt by hate. Because love will always defeat hate in the end. This isn't a pointless fight. Humanity is not doomed to destroy itself. Nothing is predestined in life. To everyone reading this, if you are sitting silent in this fight, stand up and let your voice be heard! Do not remain apathetic when the very future of our species in on the line. Stand up and fight for humanity. Fight for the change you want to see. The change will happen. It takes time. But it will happen, so stand up and be a part of it. Lend your voice, lend your strength and courage, and be a part of this. No matter how alone you feel when you stand for a cause, know that you are not alone. Every movement, every change, starts with one person, one voice. Once people hear that voice, many more will stand up.
       I'm standing up, I'm fighting for a better tomorrow, for equality for all humanity. Are you going to join me?