Inspired by Rev. Ken's message on 9.19.10 (Wellsprings Unitarian Universalist Congregation http://www.wellspringsuu.org/index-10.html) I began to think about how listening relates to tolerance. I'm finding that I believe there is a direct correlation between the two.
Much of what drives intolerant actions is either misunderstanding or lack of knowledge. Let's think about this for a moment... When people are intolerant of another race it is often because they look at a person from that race and make observations that they may not understand. From this information, the person either draws a conclusion or sees something that allows them to reinforce a conclusion they already had. This same process occurs when people look at other religions or when they look at anything else that is different from them.
Difference is a beautiful thing, yet many people are afraid of these differences. Can you imagine what our world would be like without difference? All people look alike. Everyone holds the same beliefs. To me this goes beyond boring. One of the best spices of life, in my opinion, is the fact that we have so much diversity in this world.
So, how do we go about learning about others and celebrating the diversity of this world? In my opinion, listening is a great place to start. When we listen, however, we need to do so with an open mind and an open heart. If we go into a conversation saying we will listen but bring with us preformed opinions we are going in with a closed mind and closed heart. As we listen that is where our attention needs to be. If we listen and simultaneously are thinking about our answer we are not truly allowing the person to express what they really need to say.
I can think of many situations where an individual would want someone else to listen to them. We all find ourselves in these situations yet so often when we are in the position of listener we do everything except truly listening. My challenge to you today is to be open to what others are trying to communicate with you. Having that openness will decrease misunderstanding and in many cases make your life easier and enhance your relationship with the person you are listening to. In addition, people like being listened to and when you listen to another person it makes it more likely that when you need to speak and want someone to listen; the person you opened your heart and mind to is more likely to open their heart and mind to you. Communication is, after all a two way street.
I'm opening my heart and mind to you in sharing this...I welcome your comments and opinions.
Peace,
Dawn
Monday, September 20, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Reflection Upon the Times
September 11, 2001 was a day that all of us will remember. The world looked on in horror as 2 planes crashed into the Twin Towers in New York. Most everyone I know not only remembers that but also remembers other details of the day. I remember where I was, what I was doing, and who I talked with.
Everyone I know has different images they remember.
I am saddened by everything that happened on that day and also about that day. I even more saddened by the residual results. Today there is a new prejudice in this country. Today there is a new hatred.
There are many people who have a fear of anyone they think might be Muslim. Reality is that the attack on the U.S. on September 11, 2001 was not made by Muslims. The Muslim religion is about peace not killing. But, just as in any religion, there are extremists who have false beliefs. The fact that these people take an action that harms others says nothing about the true religion.
People have been fighting in the name of religion for years. The fact that we don't understand each others' religions is not excuse for the loss of life that has been the result. People have a tendency to lash out at one another over such things.
Specifically, I'm talking about Pastor Terry Jones' threat to burn the Qu'ran today. Pastor Jones' threat doesn't make sense on many fronts. First, the act of burning the Qu'ran would have been seen by the extremists as an attack upon their religion and there would be retaliation. It would put the men and women of our armed forces in much more danger than they already are. It would put our country in danger of another attack such as the one that occurred nine years ago today. In addition, much of what Pastor Jones has said publicly has been incorrect. Pastor Jones stated that the Islam Community center would be at the site of Ground Zero." The Islam Center is projected to be close to "Ground Zero" but not on the actual site. Specifically it will be 2.5 blocks away (approximately 1/4 mile). Pastor Jones also forgot to mention that the Islam Center being built would serve the people who attended a mosque near the Twin Towers that was also destroyed when those planes flew into the buildings. Finally, Pastor Jones also did not think about the fact that by desecrating the religion of Islam by burning their most sacred book, the Qu'ran he was also actively desecrating his own religion. Islam and Christianity have a common element...the words that Christians know of as the Old Testament. If Pastor Jones had burned the Qu'ran he would have also burned the Old Testament of the book he believed to be the most holy.
I'm relieved to report at this time that Pastor Jones did not burn a Qu'ran today. And, according to various news sources he is now stating he will never burn the Qu'ran. I have not found anything that gave his reason but I am relieved that he made this decision. This country was built upon the basis of religious freedom and what people like Pastor Jones don't seem to understand is if we take the religious freedom away from one; the religious freedom we all enjoy is at risk.
Peace,
Dawn
Everyone I know has different images they remember.
I am saddened by everything that happened on that day and also about that day. I even more saddened by the residual results. Today there is a new prejudice in this country. Today there is a new hatred.
There are many people who have a fear of anyone they think might be Muslim. Reality is that the attack on the U.S. on September 11, 2001 was not made by Muslims. The Muslim religion is about peace not killing. But, just as in any religion, there are extremists who have false beliefs. The fact that these people take an action that harms others says nothing about the true religion.
People have been fighting in the name of religion for years. The fact that we don't understand each others' religions is not excuse for the loss of life that has been the result. People have a tendency to lash out at one another over such things.
Specifically, I'm talking about Pastor Terry Jones' threat to burn the Qu'ran today. Pastor Jones' threat doesn't make sense on many fronts. First, the act of burning the Qu'ran would have been seen by the extremists as an attack upon their religion and there would be retaliation. It would put the men and women of our armed forces in much more danger than they already are. It would put our country in danger of another attack such as the one that occurred nine years ago today. In addition, much of what Pastor Jones has said publicly has been incorrect. Pastor Jones stated that the Islam Community center would be at the site of Ground Zero." The Islam Center is projected to be close to "Ground Zero" but not on the actual site. Specifically it will be 2.5 blocks away (approximately 1/4 mile). Pastor Jones also forgot to mention that the Islam Center being built would serve the people who attended a mosque near the Twin Towers that was also destroyed when those planes flew into the buildings. Finally, Pastor Jones also did not think about the fact that by desecrating the religion of Islam by burning their most sacred book, the Qu'ran he was also actively desecrating his own religion. Islam and Christianity have a common element...the words that Christians know of as the Old Testament. If Pastor Jones had burned the Qu'ran he would have also burned the Old Testament of the book he believed to be the most holy.
I'm relieved to report at this time that Pastor Jones did not burn a Qu'ran today. And, according to various news sources he is now stating he will never burn the Qu'ran. I have not found anything that gave his reason but I am relieved that he made this decision. This country was built upon the basis of religious freedom and what people like Pastor Jones don't seem to understand is if we take the religious freedom away from one; the religious freedom we all enjoy is at risk.
Peace,
Dawn
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Racial Profiling
According to Amnesty International racial profiling occurs when "...race is used by law enforcement or private security officials, to any degree, as a basis for criminal suspicion in non-suspect specific investigations. Discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, nationality or on any other particular identity undermines the basic human rights and freedoms to which every person is entitled." (Amnesty International, 2010).
This official definition refers to the racial profiling that may be used by law enforcement personnel, however, law enforcement officials are not the only ones who "profile" people by their race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, or sexual identity/orientation. People do it all the time. Some groups are more affected by this than others.
Is racial profiling effective in increasing safety, security, and preventing crime? No. Amnesty international has published 5 facts about racial profiling that explain why this method is not effective and can be particularly harmful.
1. When racial profiling is used it can result in the delay of solving crimes. After the Oklahoma City bombing the officials investigating the case came to the conclusion that the crime fit the racial profile of an Arab terrorist. This allowed the 2 white men who had done the bombing to flee, putting the public at risk while they were free. The racial profiling in this case caused the public to remain in danger. Another case where racial profiling endangered the public was the sniper investigation in Washington D.C. Law enforcement came up with a profile which said the assailant was a white male acting alone. The actual perpetrator, an African American man who had a child with him was able to drive past multiple road blocks despite the fact that he had the murder weapon in the car with him the entire time. (Amnesty International, 2010).
2. Racial profiling can put our safety in jeopardy. There was a case in 2003 where a white man from Maryland smuggled various dangerous items which included a box cutter and a material like plastic explosive onto a plane to make a point. His point was that because he did not fit the racial profile of a person who would bring a bomb onto a plane he was able to get onto the plane with these items without much difficulty. (Amnesty International, 2010).
3. Racial profiling has failed to work in the "War on Drugs." Border patrol officers have been more apt to stop black and Hispanic individuals who are crossing the border but statistics show that whites who are crossing the border have a higher incidence of being caught with possession of drugs. And when Customs Agents gave up racial profiling and focus on behavior and other race neutral indicators their success rate in finding people who were carrying drugs rose by 300% (Amnesty International, 2010).
4. Racial profiling encourages people to hate those who fit a particular profile. The expanding of racial profiling that occurred after September 11, 2001 has contributed to the idea that profiling is okay and that hate crimes against certain individuals based upon what they look like are justified. Another by-product of racial profiling is that it makes individuals who belong to the groups being profiled have less desire to help with the nation's anti-terrorism efforts (Amnesty International, 2010).
5. The end of racial profiling has been promised but racial profiling is still being used. President Bush issued a directive in 2003 that banned the use of racial profiling by federal agencies but allowed for certain exceptions such as in the interest of national security. Also, this directive only applies to federal investigators and not those from the state or local level (Amnesty International, 2010).
For a moment, just imagine that you are walking down the street to a store. Before you realize what's going on a police officer stops you to question you. Next thing you know, despite the fact that you show the officer valid identification and are cooperating with all of the questioning, in a short period of time there are 5 more officers present. You are taken in and questioned more. You are searched. You are detained. And, they find nothing. They find nothing because you are a law-abiding citizen. You just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and looked "wrong."
Racial profiling doesn't work and it perpetuates hate. It may be awhile until the use of racial profiling ends with law enforcement but I challenge you to think about racial profiling on a much more personal level. Learn about other races, nationalities, religions, etc. Practice tolerance. Remember that you don't have to understand a person to accept them as a human being and love them for the same reason. Smile to others and you'll find that you receive smiles back. And, when you have a thought that profiles a person a certain way challenge yourself and this thought. Ask yourself, "Why am I thinking this?" and you may realize that many of these thoughts are irrational.
To see how racial profiling can affect an individual check out this video.
http://www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights-racial-justice/would-you-ask-man-his-papers
Peace,
Dawn
Amnesty International. (2010). Racial profiling. Retrieved from http://www.amnestyusa.org/us-human-rights/racial-profiling/page.do?id=1106650
This official definition refers to the racial profiling that may be used by law enforcement personnel, however, law enforcement officials are not the only ones who "profile" people by their race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, or sexual identity/orientation. People do it all the time. Some groups are more affected by this than others.
Is racial profiling effective in increasing safety, security, and preventing crime? No. Amnesty international has published 5 facts about racial profiling that explain why this method is not effective and can be particularly harmful.
1. When racial profiling is used it can result in the delay of solving crimes. After the Oklahoma City bombing the officials investigating the case came to the conclusion that the crime fit the racial profile of an Arab terrorist. This allowed the 2 white men who had done the bombing to flee, putting the public at risk while they were free. The racial profiling in this case caused the public to remain in danger. Another case where racial profiling endangered the public was the sniper investigation in Washington D.C. Law enforcement came up with a profile which said the assailant was a white male acting alone. The actual perpetrator, an African American man who had a child with him was able to drive past multiple road blocks despite the fact that he had the murder weapon in the car with him the entire time. (Amnesty International, 2010).
2. Racial profiling can put our safety in jeopardy. There was a case in 2003 where a white man from Maryland smuggled various dangerous items which included a box cutter and a material like plastic explosive onto a plane to make a point. His point was that because he did not fit the racial profile of a person who would bring a bomb onto a plane he was able to get onto the plane with these items without much difficulty. (Amnesty International, 2010).
3. Racial profiling has failed to work in the "War on Drugs." Border patrol officers have been more apt to stop black and Hispanic individuals who are crossing the border but statistics show that whites who are crossing the border have a higher incidence of being caught with possession of drugs. And when Customs Agents gave up racial profiling and focus on behavior and other race neutral indicators their success rate in finding people who were carrying drugs rose by 300% (Amnesty International, 2010).
4. Racial profiling encourages people to hate those who fit a particular profile. The expanding of racial profiling that occurred after September 11, 2001 has contributed to the idea that profiling is okay and that hate crimes against certain individuals based upon what they look like are justified. Another by-product of racial profiling is that it makes individuals who belong to the groups being profiled have less desire to help with the nation's anti-terrorism efforts (Amnesty International, 2010).
5. The end of racial profiling has been promised but racial profiling is still being used. President Bush issued a directive in 2003 that banned the use of racial profiling by federal agencies but allowed for certain exceptions such as in the interest of national security. Also, this directive only applies to federal investigators and not those from the state or local level (Amnesty International, 2010).
For a moment, just imagine that you are walking down the street to a store. Before you realize what's going on a police officer stops you to question you. Next thing you know, despite the fact that you show the officer valid identification and are cooperating with all of the questioning, in a short period of time there are 5 more officers present. You are taken in and questioned more. You are searched. You are detained. And, they find nothing. They find nothing because you are a law-abiding citizen. You just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and looked "wrong."
Racial profiling doesn't work and it perpetuates hate. It may be awhile until the use of racial profiling ends with law enforcement but I challenge you to think about racial profiling on a much more personal level. Learn about other races, nationalities, religions, etc. Practice tolerance. Remember that you don't have to understand a person to accept them as a human being and love them for the same reason. Smile to others and you'll find that you receive smiles back. And, when you have a thought that profiles a person a certain way challenge yourself and this thought. Ask yourself, "Why am I thinking this?" and you may realize that many of these thoughts are irrational.
To see how racial profiling can affect an individual check out this video.
http://www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights-racial-justice/would-you-ask-man-his-papers
Peace,
Dawn
Amnesty International. (2010). Racial profiling. Retrieved from http://www.amnestyusa.org/us-human-rights/racial-profiling/page.do?id=1106650
Monday, September 6, 2010
Tolerance: What is it?
Tolerance as defined by dictionary. com is " a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one's own; freedom from bigotry."
I decided to create this blog about tolerance because of all the intolerance I see in this world. I felt a need to promote tolerance by discussing what tolerance is and is not and how this pertains to the world as we know it today.
I guarantee that you will not always agree with the opinions I write about but encourage you to have an open mind toward these ideas. Increasing tolerance in this world could increase peace and make living in this world more enjoyable.
Do I think this blog will result in world peace? No, I only wish it were that easy. What I do know is that one person can create the beginning of change. I know that if I desire to move a mountain I must begin by picking up that first stone.
My hope is that when you read this blog it will make you think and that even if you do not agree with what I've written you will challenge your own thoughts and beliefs. We do not have to agree to have a good discussion and therefore I would like to encourage your comments even if your opinion opposes mine. I do ask, however, that opinions in comments be said with sensitivity whether those comments are addressing my writing and especially when you are commenting on the comments others have left. I reserve the right to remove comments that are presented in a hurtful or hateful manner.
I decided to create this blog about tolerance because of all the intolerance I see in this world. I felt a need to promote tolerance by discussing what tolerance is and is not and how this pertains to the world as we know it today.
I guarantee that you will not always agree with the opinions I write about but encourage you to have an open mind toward these ideas. Increasing tolerance in this world could increase peace and make living in this world more enjoyable.
Do I think this blog will result in world peace? No, I only wish it were that easy. What I do know is that one person can create the beginning of change. I know that if I desire to move a mountain I must begin by picking up that first stone.
My hope is that when you read this blog it will make you think and that even if you do not agree with what I've written you will challenge your own thoughts and beliefs. We do not have to agree to have a good discussion and therefore I would like to encourage your comments even if your opinion opposes mine. I do ask, however, that opinions in comments be said with sensitivity whether those comments are addressing my writing and especially when you are commenting on the comments others have left. I reserve the right to remove comments that are presented in a hurtful or hateful manner.
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