I speak to you tonight as a person living in a world that is changing. And yet, despite all the change that is occurring, many important aspects of our society have not changed. Racism and prejudice are still an issue. The only “change” that has occurred there is that now people are not as open with their prejudices—if they know what is good for them.
The world has changed—oh, yes! We have lived to see an African American President inaugurated. In fact, he was elected on the platform of change. His call for change, like so many others before him, has been met with resistance. There are many—the very religious, the good ole’ boys, the republicans—who have called him names and degraded him. He has been referred to as the anti-Christ; or, even worse, a democrat! I ask you, what do these words even mean? The only reason these words have power and meaning is because we, the people of the United States, give them that power.
Another change in recent times has been our view on the safety of our beloved United States. September 11th—a day not soon to be forgotten. This day has left its mark on our society. The ash that engulfed the city of New York has engulfed the entire nation—its black mark felt by all. We lived for eight years with a President who spoke out against terrorism, who spoke out against those who would seek to do us harm, but for all the nice and patriotic words he spoke, he did not put those words into actions I can agree with. Thanks to George W. Bush and September 11th, Muslims in the United States do not get to feel safe.
The Muslims who live here—who have worked hard to be here and who are just as patriotic as the rest of us—are feeling the prejudice brought upon them by the Bush Administration and the actions of other Muslims. Why should Muslim people living here feel like they have done something wrong? They did not plan the September 11th attacks. They have done nothing wrong, but their whole lives have changed. Now people are wary of Muslim people as if they are all terrorists. What good has this change been for them? What good has National Security and the Iraq War done them?
When talking about changes in our society, it would be impossible to overlook the changes in regards to Gay and Lesbian rights. Just like any group of people who have been enslaved and persecuted, gays and lesbians are fighting for their rights. They are fighting for equal rights given to any other citizen—the right to be married, to have children, and to be able to stand at their partner’s hospital bed. As human beings, why would they not deserve the same rights as everyone else? This isn’t a matter of sexual preference, but a matter of if we are all human or not. The obvious answer is of course we’re all human! It is so frustrating when people are close-minded and prejudice. What good does it do to treat people with beliefs that are different than yours as if they are bad or wrong?
Many things in our world have changed, but change is gradual and only comes if people are willing to try to change. Change requires sacrifice—a martyr. For the African American’s, people like Martin Luther King Jr., and all those who participated in the Civil
I think the only thing that will never change in our world is that there will always be people who resist change. There will always be religious extremists. There will always be racism. What will change is who resists the change, what religion is in power, and who is feeling the prejudice of racism.
I speak to you tonight as someone who lives in a world that is constantly changing, without actually changing. I hope someday that real change takes place. When that day comes, it will be something to see, and that will be the world I want my children to live in.
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