Wes

9/11 – A Day of Remembrance and Reflection

By Wes Pinter

As we remember and mourn those we lost 17 years ago on September 11, 2001, let us also remember that life is far too short to waste time on hating one another.

Hate is such a destructive emotion, to both the hated and the hater. It was hate that led to this tragedy, but it was love and kindness that helped us heal. Don’t give into hate and allow it to consume you!

After the horrific events which occurred that day, people all over the world came together in solidarity. But lately, we’ve become so divided.

I’ve seen and heard some of the most hateful things coming from people who I know are otherwise decent, caring and in most cases, very generous and compassionate, too. This makes it all the more shocking and disappointing, when I see them blindly regurgitate some of the vile comments and share fake news and derogatory videos or memes, without even bothering to check the accuracy first.

It’s so easy to manufacture fake news, pictures and videos these days, and you really shouldn’t believe everything you see. I frequently come across pictures and posts with outrageous quotes or actions being attributed to people who never said or did them. The obvious reason for this is to stir hate and resentment, and to divide us.

I have a great sense of humor and I can usually appreciate when something is obviously a joke, but many times people are creating and sharing these things as “facts” to further a political or ideological agenda.

Please use your brain and start questioning the sources and their motivations. Don’t become one of the sheeple!

It literally takes just a few seconds to do a quick Google search to verify something before you start spreading lies and hate. How would you feel if people were spreading lies about you?

We aren’t born with hate in our hearts. Bigotry and intolerance come from ignorance and fear.

Some politicians and their supporters are exploiting this to drive a wedge between us, because fear is a powerful motivator. It’s also a powerful tool for manipulation.

Hitler rose to power by using hate-filled propaganda to demonize and dehumanize an entire group of people and convince his supporters to commit atrocities against them. Don’t allow yourself to be manipulated by these kinds of people. They’re only in it for themselves, but they need you to help carry out their agenda!

I have friends and family from many different nationalities, ethnicity, religions, political affiliations, socioeconomic classes and sexual orientations. Diversity is a good thing!

Sure, every group has members who reinforce negative stereotypes, but that shouldn’t be an indictment of the entire group. Should you be judged for your crazy brother’s behavior?

The more I learn about people who are different from me, the more I learn we also have a lot in common. I rarely avoid or unfriend people I might disagree with. Instead, I take the opportunity to try and understand their point of view and not rely on my own preconceptions.

Sometimes I’m still left shaking my head as to why they believe the things they do, but occasionally I just might change my own opinion. Either way, it’s always worthwhile to have a dialog and gain a better understanding of one another.

We’re all in this world together. Imagine how much better it would be if we all tried a little harder to get along!

Be kind to one another! Peace and love to you and your family on this day of remembrance! ❤

8 comments

  2. Well said Wesley. I feel the same. I was appalled at some of my long time friends or acquaintances would spew such hatred things. This world can get along. We all just need to remember we are all human and all God’s children. No one person is better than another. No one race is better than another. No one gender is better than the other. We need to remember to love each other, use our compassion to help others. That is the only way this world will right itself. Just as 9/11 brought us together, we need to stop the hatred and remember to help each other again. We may not agree on everything but that does not mean we need to tear each other down just because we don’t. It is ok to disagree or have different views. These different outlooks are what made the dreamers, inventors, business owners, family bonds, and what makes our country great. You can have an opinion but don’t criticize others on their opinion. No one opinion is the end all. We need to learn to compromise and find a solution that works for everyone to our problems and without the hatred. Nothing good comes from hatred. And that is a fact.

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  4. Very well put Wes. Who are we to judge. Life is short and the love and respect we show for one another is what we should all want to be remembered for. Thank you for this.

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  5. I agree with you Wes except on one point. It’s fine to love one another in principle but bestowing love on those who are indoctrinated with hate to destroy those who come from a different group other than their own, won’t turn them around. Taking the example of Hitler you have cited, imagine if the world had welcomed him with open arms, Heil Hitler, I wonder what would have been the final outcome. Sometimes you have to fight to be a man. Kenny Rogers.

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    • Thanks for taking the time to comment, Wilson! Yes, there are some evil people in this world, such as the example of Hitler. I totally agree that people like that should not be welcomed with open arms. Unless they changed their ways, which is highly unlikely for most fanatics! My point was mainly that the rest of us shouldn’t fall for their lies and allow them to indoctrinate and manipulate us into hating each other. They derive their power via scapegoating, deception and manipulation and we shouldn’t give it to them.

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