Why I'm wearing purple today

Some of you may know (and some of you may NOT know) that today is a day of remembrance for all those young gay men and women who have killed themselves to fight off hate after being forced to be scrupulous about how they are portrayed and who they are and how they were born. These people in particular, Tyler Clementi, Asher Brown, Seth Walsh, Justin Aaberg, Raymond Chase, Billy Lucas Jeanine Blanchette, and Chantal Dube are not the only stories like these; stories of young men and women being bullied for being gay to the point of suicide... But these are the stories that have been so public and so available for the last couple months that many people have started to take a stand against those who commit to this type of bullying by wearing purple today in a sign of remembrance and recognition of the problem our society still faces today.



It is absolutely crazy to me that this type of thing is still happening in this country, and in many others, but particularly here. We've come a long way with acceptance of people and their beliefs here and have even been able to combat really ridiculous old-school practices like Don't Ask, Don't Tell and gay marriage and had significant wins in both of these stances in major court rooms around the world. All of that is wonderful and the fight is still being fought, but none of it will matter if children who are born gay do not feel comfortable going to school because they're afraid of what the "straight, jock kids" will say to them as they try to get to their classes. Everything would be a waste if children continue to take young men and women captive and beat them senseless for something they cannot control. All of these things still happen today, and it is because of two things:



1. These bullies have intense issues with their own lives and use someone who is "different" than them to reflect the hatred that they have in themselves.



and 2. The parents of these children are not being the non-denominational, moderate beings that children need to look up to enough to know that even if their child is NOT gay, there was a possibility that he or she could have been and they would never want their children to be beaten, abused, and used the way these children are on a daily basis.



So, here's why I'm wearing purple today. Because I am a fighting advocate for equal rights of everyone. Black, white, Asian, Indian, Muslim, Christian, Gay, Straight, Right, Left. Everyone.



I do not have children yet, but when I do, each one of them will have equal rights distilled into their veins from birth just as I did. They will have friends from all walks of life and of all races, religions, cultures, and sexual backgrounds. They will know that it is wrong to discriminate against anyone no matter what they feel about the issue. They will learn to stand up for someone who is weaker than they are, no matter what the consequence, because that's what I was taught. They will learn to be strong, loving, and caring in spite of those children whose parents did not teach them the manners that they were taught. They will love everyone.



I am not the only one who pledges this today. There are many others fighting for the chance to tell their kids the same thing. The problem is, there is just not enough of it. There is not enough strength in high enough places to get this stuff rid from our lives. The government is lackluster at best when it comes to standing up for the rights of American people who happen to have been born homosexual. Our own President, who since he graced us with his cleverly read scripts on those teleprompters that spoke about change and equality and a revolution for the American people has been close-mouthed about everything in terms of any kind of change for people who have no voice. The government, in their attempt to continue this lifestyle of being "politically correct" has ultimately become a coward for the things that matter. Keeping our nation safe and free of ridicule. Of being safe and free, which is what I thought this country was founded upon.



I thought about something today while driving to school and fussing with my purple hair ribbon. We condemn terrorists for taking an airplane and crashing it into a building of Americans who were completely innocent; it isn't their fault that they were born in America, and they were just living their lives based on who they were. There is outrage everyday against these evident terrorists and any other people who try to take away our freedom by killing, injuring, and scaring us.



Why, then, are we not in outrage over these bullies... these, terrorists? As far as I'm concerned, these bullies are civil terrorists, causing enough havoc and turmoil to our own people to cause them to jump out of the metaphorical building of their lives and take their own life before someone else does. I have just as much disgust and contempt for those who bully innocent gays as I do for those who bullied the innocent Americans working for a living on 9/11, and I feel like everyone else should too.



They were born this way, and it's about time people come to that realization.



So, today I stand for every one of my gay friends, and everyone else who has ever been a victim of any kind of bullying. I will stand up, no matter the repercussions, because I am strong and I love you all more than I could ever put into better words than these.



Hopefully one day this note will be the start of a change worldwide, but until then, it's a change in me.





With all the love in the world,





Shannon.



ps. This is not how I would like to see the United States turn out.



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/19/AR2010101903438.html