Christmas spirit. It's all about love, compassion, friendship. But is it only a nice wrapping paper? What's buried beneath the nice words and greetings of the lovely Christmas cards? Do Christmas cards convey a real message of love and caring or is it only a fa?ade, a mask, thick layers of make-up to hide the rooted hatred that is there. White, African American, Hispanic, Jews, Italians, Muslims and the list goes on and on, and so is the deep rooted blind-hatred. Michael Richards' display of hatred at the Laugh Factory is contemptible. His remarks are the embodiment of racial hatred. Michael Richards, however, is not the problem. He's just a wash up comic (to use his own words) who happened to give rise to the problem in an uncontrolled rage. The sad truth is that many people in America saw and heard Michael Richards and inaudibly mumbled, "He's right, he's right," and some even cheered. Many people think the answer to all their problems lies in the destruction of their neighbor. Eliminate the Blacks, there will be no crime. Eliminate the Muslims, there will be no terrorism. Eliminate the Jews, there will be more money for all. And it's so easy to think this way, especially if you've never met or had relationships with this not-of-your-group neighbor. So how can we really make a change? I'll tell you. I don't believe in "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." It's too idealistic. Too vague. Too unreal. I do believe in, "What you do not wish upon yourself, extend not to others." Think of the difference and I hope you'll see for yourself what I mean. It's much easier to tell what you don't wish upon yourself than telling what "loving thyself" means. Love is in itself an enigma. Loving thyself, well, it's even more complicated. But when someone hurts you, or offends you, that easily falls into the category of things you do not wish upon yourself. So let this guide you, in what you think of others, in what you say to others, in what you do to others. Uprooting the racial hatred is not something to happen over night. But it will never happen if you don't make the first step now. And now you know how: Don't extend to others what you do not wish upon yourself. See All articles From Author Tags:

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Word Count Appx. : 390 | Article Views 407 Published 24-11-2006