I was unsure of how to write about the tragedies in Paris that occurred last week. And then my idiot governor of this great state of Nebraska showed me how to do it. 

In my opinion our first task as members of humanity and citizens of the world is to send our love and thoughts to those most closely connect to the attacks. Those who have lost their lives, loved ones, and feelings of safety. This is not the first horrific event of its kind, nor will it be the last, and every event like this deserves our attention. 

The second great tragedy of this event is what it will do to members of the Muslim community. There are 1.4 billion people who practice the religion of Islam. If we wanted to fuel the fire that some are creating in their belief that Islam=terrorism, then we are feeding into the extremists who are misrepresenting their religion and rallying their cause around their believe that the Western world is waging a war on Islam. Islam actually means peace. Just as Christians don't let the KKK or the Westboro Baptist church represent all of Christianity, we cannot let extremist stereotype 1.4 billion peaceful people. People cause violence, not faith. 

America has prided herself on being a country of the free. We are the melting pot of the world. The Statue of Liberty says, "Give me your tired, your poor,/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,/The wretched refuse of your teeming shore./Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,/I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" This is what America was founded on--being a place of freedom, safety, and acceptance. And now there are governors claiming they will refuse Syrian refugees from their states? Not only is it un-American to not help those who are fleeing the terrorists we so passionately stand against, it's inhumane to not help our fellow brothers and sisters, our fellow human beings. Two million of these refugees are children. Two million children who have lost parts of their family, their homes, their childhood innocence and we won't open our doors to give them safety from those extremists. 

I know full well there are many, many millions of Christians with compassion in their hearts who do not have ill will toward our Muslim neighbors. I also know that the United States is slowing becoming a nation of non-religious and "Other" rather than so dominated by Christianity. Yet, there are some high profile, high power Christians who are taking a very un-Christian approach to the issue of helping these "huddled masses yearning to breathe free." Jeb Bush feels we should only allow Christian refugees into our country. The Governor of my state, Nebraska, has also said he would refuse Syrian refugees fleeing war. This same Governor has spent over $300,000 on keeping the death penalty in Nebraska even when lawmakers voted to abolish it. Apparently Governor Ricketts has a loose interpretation of the Commandment "Thou shall not kill." Christians in America will soon celebrate Christmas--a holiday where we learn of a Middle-Eastern family who traveled far from their home only to be turned away at every inn and made to sleep in a barn. Is that really how we are going to treat those seeking a roof over their heads? The most popularly quoted Bible verse tells us that God so loved the world that he sacrificed his only son to save all of humanity. All of humanity. Jesus didn't say I'll die for you and you, but the rest of y'all can suffer. 

I have never been ashamed of where I am from until this last year when I have seen my state give marriage equality and then have the governor take it away, abolish the death penalty and then have the governor fight for it to stay. Now we have the opportunity to show love and compassion to our fellow humans and the governor wants to turn those who need our help away. I am embarrassed and ashamed. I am so saddened that the place where I was raised, the place that has shown me so much love and support would be so backward to not extend that love and support to all who need it.

For now, I can close with pride in my president, pride in my country. In response to those who have said they will deny refugees, Obama has said: "When I hear folks say that, well, maybe we should just admit the Christians but not the Muslims; when I hear political leaders suggesting that there would be a religious test for which a person who’s fleeing from a war-torn country is admitted, when some of those folks themselves come from families who benefited from protection when they were fleeing political persecution—that’s shameful. That’s not American. That’s not who we are. We don’t have religious tests to our compassion."  http://go.wh.gov/Qr48Yt That. That right there is the kind of person I want to be. The kind of world I want to live in. I know that the number one thing in this world I am meant to be is kind to everyone and the world around me.  If we close our doors on those who are "different" from us, life will be a long and lonely existence. Open your eyes. If we were all the same, we'd never learn, never grow, never become better. We need each other. 

     I think there comes a point in every person’s life when she/he realizes someone he/she looked up to is a human being with flaws. While we accept things like speeding tickets or an occasional F-bomb, a poor choice or two in someone’s youth, but it can be pretty earth shattering when we realize that someone we look up to represents something we are against. As we grow up and we start to formulate our own morals and values, sometimes those new ideas can go against what our teachers, parents, grandparents, mentors, aunts, uncles have told us. And that’s OK. If we all were the same, the human race would never progress. However, you’ll probably reach a point in your life when you’ll have the choice to stand up for what you believe in or be silent. As scary and daunting as it is, I encourage you to stand up.

     I’m going to write about my dad not because I want people to think he is a crappy person, but because I believe I have a real duty to use my voice. My dad is not a crappy person, but somethign needs to be said. My dad was my hero when I was little. He carried me on his shoulders, taught me to count, shot hoops with me, took me to the farm and taught me how to drive. He gave me my first job mowing lawns, has traveled all over with me to watch me race, and he never, ever misses a chance, still to this day, to tell me he loves me and he’s proud of me.

     But my dad is racist.

     And he goes out of his way to be racist.

     My dad is from a small town. He probably has no friends of color nor does he interact with any people who are too different than him—middle class, white, Christian, male. And that’s all OK. I can forgive not understanding another culture. I can understand not believing another religion. Hell, I can understand not believing that racism exists if you live in a place where you can’t see it daily. However, his racism is not this subtle. Every day he post something on Facebook that screams with bigotry. At first I removed him from Facebook. Then there were emails. I broke down each email with care and statistics that I was sure would convince anyone that racism still exists and open his eyes to the obstacles that people face every day. Nothing. And maybe he didn’t read them. Maybe he wants to live this way. But I can’t let it go. I can’t believe that someone who has taught me how to love and loved me so much could spread that kind of hate into the world.

     I believe that we are all different so that we can learn from one another. So that we can teach each other and help each other become better. My dad taught me when I was small. I also have faith in his love for me that he’ll have my back no matter what. I have to believe with all of my heart that by saying something, maybe I can start to change his mind and he can now learn from me. I love my dad. But someday I might adopt a baby that is African-American or Latino or marry someone of a different race or religion or maybe my child will be LGBTQ (something else my dad can’t wrap his mind around). I don’t want that child to grow up in a world where her mom doesn’t stand up for her and her grandfather’s racism/bigotry is ignored. I don’t want any child to grow up in a place where people aren’t working to give them a better world.

     Love everyone. Even for their imperfections. But don’t be afraid to stand up for what is right. If you question if something is right or not, ask yourself if what is being said is spreading love or hate. Always help love win.