Two Wrongs and No Right

There was a delicate silence, entirely unconfident and brimming with disbelief. How is one expected to respond to a racist remark?

>> “I can’t wait until you go back to where you came from.”

A few moments stumbled by, until finally a response was forced.

>> “Guess what, buddy? You don’t belong here either.”

Passersby did not hesitate. They probably did not even recognize the scene. The wires dangling from their ears and their consequently gazed sights aren’t to blame, though. Society is. We are all guilty.

New York City’s 6th Avenue was packed with an ironic hate earlier this evening – an entirely separate occurrence from the brief altercation on the side of a cold city street. The mainstream, albeit local media has been following the events – a documentation supposed objective, yet so unsubtly in agreement.

The protesters implored my participation. “You have to earn it for yourself”, they hurried. “Standing by does no good.”

“Love Trumps Hate”, signs read (Yes. Love is better than hate. So what’s with all the hate toward Trump? You say Trump ‘hates’ people. Stop hating him. This is called hypocrisy.)

“Black Lives Matter”, they chanted. (What about all other ethnic minorities?)

“My Body, My Choice”, was the argument. (What about the choice of an unborn child? The “I have a body, therefore I have a choice” argument is invalid. A baby has a body too.)

“Refugees are welcome here”, a familiar tune. (What about the ones who are already here and struggling to survive?)

The chanting has not yet ceased. It continues through my closed window at a time near midnight. The protesters hurried past me a few hours ago down 6th Avenue.

What must I earn for myself? Hate? Disrespect of our nation? Call it standing up for values, or protesting ideas you don’t share. And in most any other case, you have a duty to stand up for what you believe in. But now – this is the election of our future president. Our common leader. Leave if you like. Why so easy to give up?

Expressing your hate for the future president of our nation is disgraceful. You may not agree with something within our country, but you, my fellow citizen, are part of it. Make it better. That’s what a majority of the states voted for. We in fact have a common interest. To make America great.

In order to make America great, the answer is not hate. And protest does not equal change when it is hateful. “If I don’t belong here, then you don’t either” –  is not valid.  The only answer to hate is love.

Hate the fact that our future president is not your vote? Love him instead.