Rustig aan jongens(en dames)!

Do you recognize these buildings?
If not, the one of the left is a Muslim Mosque and the
one on the right is a Jewish Synagogue. Yes, it is possible!

Today as I was mowing the lawn, I was considering life in the United States of America. As all of you are aware, I just recently returned from a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints serving in the West Indies Mission. I spent my time in two small little countries: Grenada and Suriname. These two little countries were pretty different then the big United States. Both are still developing and lack the sophistication of the western world. For example, I only saw one iPad in all of mission experience, but I noticed 35 iPad/iPhones on the plane ride from Miami to Dallas. For everything they lack though, they got a long with each other quite well. Something that the populace of the United States of America is still working on.

Sounds foreign right? People actually getting along with each other. It's crazy! I set the picture above to highlight something. In my time in Suriname, I came across six major races(Creoles, Javanese, Hindus, Chinese, Brazilians, and Europeans[mainly dutch people]) and three major religions(Christian, Muslim, and Hindu) incredibly there was very little strife between people. Was it perfect? Definitely not! There were definitely some problems in the system. (They always seemed to like to honk their horns at my companions and I.) What was encouraging though, as a people, they rather choose to be united by their similarities then divided by their differences. In all my time, I never heard a disparaging comment that suggested a situation was the result of racism, sexism, or any other sort of -ism. The people of Suriname, in general, did their best to work together and appreciate each other.

Quite sadly though, it didn't take long for me to see hate and distrust in America. In fact, my first flight in America is where it became apparent. I was sitting in the back of an American Airlines flight from Miami to Dallas when a steward came to the back to talk with a passenger. The passenger was a larger black Women who was accompanying a younger black Man to another location. The Man was apparently a convict.(learned by overhearing the discussion not an opinion) The steward was informing the Women that the Man would need to disembark the plane. Apparently, when the flight manifest was submitted to the FBI, the FBI decided the man shouldn't be flying. An argument broke out as the Women refused to leave and to listen to those in charge of the flight, including the captain, citing that she had a right to fly and that all of this was a mistake by American Airlines. Eventually the airline was required to bring Miami Police and Airport Security onto the flight to take the Women and Man off. It was definitely a disappointing situation for everyone involved but what made it worse is when the Man, as he is being escorted off the plane, shouts, "Your only doing this because I'm black." As an eyewitness to the event, I can testify that the only mention of race in the entire situation was by the Man as he was being taken off. From my understanding of the event, it was not the man's race that created the situation but rather the Women's non-compliance with the flight crew and previous bad decision by the Man.

This was an interesting introduction to the politics of America today. Although we can set aside our petty differences for the most unimportant things, ie sporting events, America just can't seem to get along with each other. It is amazing to watch civil debates on Facebook explode into disrespectful comments that accuse others of bigotry and hate. I've also been surprised by the amount of negativity in the current political campaign. What ever happened to telling me how good you are instead of telling me how bad someone else has done. Heck! I remember looking at cars to purchase. The Chevrolet salesman we spoke to took more time telling me how bad a Honda Civic was instead of telling me how great the Chevrolet Cruise. What a turn off! I don't even read message boards on newspapers anymore because they don't espouse ideas rather they espouse hate. Is it not possible to discuss ideas in today public sphere without animosity?

I'm not suggesting that we conform with dissidents, or with those whom we disagree. If I did, I'm sure someone would quote Edmund Burke who quoted as saying, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." I'm simply suggesting that it is possible to express ourselves without having to tear someone else down. I'll even go further and suggest that it is possible for reasonable people to disagree without having to be bigots or ignorant. Nothing turns me off from someone's else opinion to hear that everyone who disagrees with the opinion is a bigot.

I'm calling a time-out to the hate. I'm calling respectability and love out and telling everyone to start using it! How can we expect to fix a country when we have to tear it apart every four years to elect a new leader? How can we expect violence to decrease when people are trying to teach everyone to hate someone else?How can you espouse and claim freedom of expression and then hate someone else's opinion?

Disagree or Agree, that is okay with me, lets just get along people!

I guess I'm just trying to use a dutch expression I grew to love so much:

Rusting aan jongens(en dames)!


As Always

Nathan John Nielson