Belonging. A single word associating one with a community. Everywhere, as we know it, millions of communities, groups, and friends are together—people who may share the same ideas, beliefs, interests, and so much more. And while feeling like you truly are included brings so much happiness, with the joy and feeling that, ‘oh she’s similar to me’ or ‘someone else also feels that’—it can also just as easily be ripped apart.
With the reelection of President Donald Trump, there has been a vast destruction in so many communities across America as they are forcibly dehumanized over and over again. Like clockwork—the people who were once open and kind have once more turned against the communities surrounding them. Even people who may not have known were part of those communities themselves.
As a whole, marginalized communities like the LGBTQ community, racial minorities, and women have all been known to face some of the most discrimination, hate, and violence. Yet, despite society trying over and over again to fully integrate everyone into our community equally, President Trump’s excessive hate speech threatens to collapse this effort that people have tried so hard to feel a part of.
Just last February, there was a large controversy regarding a photo that was leaked showing ten students at Redwood High School in California’s Central Valley spelling out the word “FA***TS” on their t-shirts during a school assembly. Later on, it was revealed that two eighth-grade boys had been seen holding hands.
While it may be difficult to take actions such as these seriously when one isn’t part of a specific group, the hate speech and discrimination that have occurred during events like these remain.
Unfortunately, there’s been a large occurrence in people overall being unconcerned about anyone but themselves—this isn’t just seen in people ignoring comments clearly hating on a specific group of people, but overall. People are becoming more divided, indifferent to the world around them as they continue to live their day-to-day lives without caring to talk to others about their own problems, life events, or even politics. They’re too afraid to share their opinion, not wanting to set adrift this life of conforming to people’s standards.
Moreover, there’s been a large uncertainty that’s come from these people who have expressed their hate towards specific populations of people—they don’t know what to do when these people that they’ve been talking about so cruelly and objectifying are the exact people that they may be friends with, family with, coworkers with. Anyone.
There have been people I have seen who suddenly become uncomfortable when the topic of ICE raids and brutal killings comes up. People who have made thousands of comments saying queer people were ‘weird’ or ‘not right’ are suddenly shocked when their own family or friends come out to them.
In one such case, an anonymous junior said, “My mom was in shock. She kind of just refused to talk to me for a while and constantly avoided talking about my love life.” They agreed that they’ve dealt with discrimination based on their sexuality.
It’s a dangerous game to play when people make such degrading comments about others who are trying to fit into society. People have continued to argue back and forth about the restrictions of their religious beliefs, morals, and preservation.
What’s essential as of right now, in the midst of a potential war and ongoing division, is to keep loving others. There has already been so much animosity taking place with people’s love being based on their political opinions—continuing to accept and love the people around us unconditionally is what the world truly needs if we as a society have any hopes of being united.