I was just emailing with a dear friend of mine. .. She was commenting about working on maintaining the Strength to be Compassionate and Forgiving of people in general. .. This friend is a terrific person ~ intelligent, articulate, warm, down to Earth, and she IS very Compassionate and Forgiving. .. And in many instances, I would agree with her ~ Humanitarianism and Compassion are generally very important and direly needed in the World. .. However, my friend’s comments also brought to mind something that occurred at a recent, local, in-person LGBTQ+ event I attended. .. It was was being held by several LGBTQ+ Meetup groups ~ one of the first in-person events being held in quite awhile. .. Turnout was good, and everyone was in Good Spirits, delighted to take an outdoor break from all the Covid restrictions. ..
While we were there, however, at one point a caravan of pick up trucks ~ sporting American flags and a giant banner that said, “Trump Won” ~ drove by, honking loudly. .. One of the women sitting nearby leapt up, and cursed at the caravan. .. I could well understand her sentiments. .. It is not uncommon among the LGBTQ+ and other minority groups, nor should it be. .. It is a sentiment born of knowing what kind of people would do that, and the things they are capable of. .. And it is exactly this kind of people ~ hate mongers: racist, sexist, classicist, homophobic, with no compassion, no conscience, no ethics, and no scruples ~ it is exactly such people and groups ~ who would pass hate legislation and commit hate crimes ~that have been on the rise in the US all throughout the Trump administration. .. and by that I mean, that there are some people and groups ~ in complete alignment with, and now “legitimized” by, a completely corrupt and morally bankrupt administration ~people who actually believe it is their “God-given” right to be detrimental, even violently harmful, to others in any way, and at any time, they feel like it. .. The same ilk who populated the violent mob that attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021. .. Notice it is this kind of people who are always the aggressors ~ you don’t see Gay people committing hate crimes against straight people, do you. ..
Prior to the 2021 election, now-President Biden called it “a battle for the Soul of the nation” ~ He was right, and it’s a battle that is still ongoing. .. And so, while I do agree, in many cases Compassion and Forgiveness are called for, there are some instances where it it would be wasted and overrun the sickness of hate mongers ~ especially with things as they stand in the US currently {Things I believe even more strongly from unfortunate Personal experiences of my own with such people}. ..Because of this, I believe it is more important now than ever for the LGBTQ+ community ~ locally, nationwide, and globally ~ to be supportive of one another, to Live and Love with Pride, with Compassion and Forgiveness ~ but also with the Strength and Wherewithal to stand up to injustice in any form. ..
