America is constantly proving that it is a very hateful place. What is worse is that people sit idly by doing nothing about it. I mostly blame all forms of media because it is where this hate flourishes. Let’s stop encouraging people to commit hate crimes against the LGBT community. 9 states prohibit the education of safe sex for homosexuals. Many areas in these states encourage teachers to tell their students that there is no safe way for gays to have sex. Even in Tennessee, there is a law that allows kids to bully kids in the LGBT community. If a student is gay and you feel that their lifestyle is infringing on your religious beliefs, you have a right to attack them. What is worse is that many school teachers and faculty are not allowed to say gay in school because it (sarcasm alert!) “promotes the gay agenda”. In more recent news, Tennessee just passed a law that allows therapists to deny help to LGBT people, those who really need assistance. Is it really freedom of speech when our words can bring a child to suicide?

There was a story back in the day that caught my eye: a young boy, Jamey Rodemeyer, who was only 14 years old, had committed suicide. He was constantly bullied, and even after his “It Gets Better” video, he decided to take his life. This is not the saddest part of the story. His sister Alyssa, distraught about her brother’s death, decided to go to a dance at her school and spend it with friends in an attempt to feel better. At the dance, “Jamey’s bullies were heard [shouting] ‘You’re better off dead, we’re glad you’re dead’ when a Lady Gaga song came on [when] other students wanted to commemorate Jamey’s memory.” -Care2 Article

Despite this disgusting action by children, this is something that goes unnoticed by most media outlets. Jamie’s death was announced on the news, but this incident was not, and many stories aren’t aired because it is not what people are used to or someone claims that it is not news.

There are many times in this country where we place one man’s actions onto an entire group of people. Islamic extremists apparently speak for the entire Muslim community. Pedophiles (most of whom are straight) speak for all gay men. Gays are grouped with every disgusting sex act known to man… why is that? Thugs and gang members speak for all African Americans. See a lazy Mexican, they all must be like that; see a Jewish banker, proof that all Jews are greedy; see a fat person on a rascal, they all must be lazy; see that officer attacking that poor defenseless bystander, proof that all cops are pigs and abusing their power; and see that Chinese person getting a ticket, proof that they are all bad drivers. What really doesn’t make sense is that we don’t do this for most white groups.

Why is it that when members of the KKK hang a man, we don’t blame all white people for it? We do not prevent the KKK from meeting, but we refuse to allow people to be open about Nazism. (Constitutional rights aside) We allow the Westboro Baptist Church to protest military funerals, funerals of mass shootings, funerals of beloved celebrities, and do not do anything to stop them because it hinges on their religious rights. When their founder died, they begged people not to protest, and we didn’t because that would be rude, yet they did not see the irony in their request.

We live in a nation where “Black Lives Matter” is being considered a terrorist group, and as one ex-Facebook friend of mine said, “We should turn the hoses on them.” -Name Withheld. Gay people are still considered to be sex perverts. Transgender people are “attacking children in bathrooms,” even though this has not been proven and this law will not stop a pedophile from entering a woman’s bathroom and hurting your child. Racism did not end when Obama was elected President; it only shifted as we place blame on other people.

Let’s stop spreading the idea that one group of people is so evil that we should ban them entirely. Obama hit it on the nose. Let’s stop expecting the worst of people, especially when it is based on their identity. We need to open our eyes; there are laws in the country that need to be updated! It is a low day when we will pass the HB2 law because transgender people might harm children, but we will not pass a law to stop dangerous criminals planning treason from getting guns, because… well, I don’t have anything that could make this sound reasonable.

Life is difficult, and we need to make difficult decisions. Yes, some laws need to go, yes, some laws should stay, and no, just because we begin to accept changes does not mean anyone is losing any of their rights, unless, of course, they purposely break the law for pleasure or monetary gain.