Dear Human Beings,
Hi, my name is Brigitte Hugh and I am a 20 year old college student. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I am an International Relations student at my university. I am straight, I am Caucasian, I am young. I hope that none of that will stop you from reading this letter. Because while I am all of these things, I am also a human being.
I've watched as several deadly attacks have taken place in the last couple of weeks. Here in the United States it feels as though the flag has been at half staff more than it's been at full staff for a very long time. It's been lowered for a whole host of incidents influenced by many different ideologies.
The motivating factor behind almost all of these attacks in the past year and half has been hatred. Bombings and stabbings influenced by the extremist agendas of ISIL. Shootings influenced by an extreme hatred of the police forces. More shootings influenced by those who feel that theirs is the only race that should be living, or by those who have a fear of anything that does not seem "natural" to them. There was a stabbing just yesterday that was perpetuated by a man who felt the society should be cleansed of those with disabilities. To round out our group of deadly attacks we have a truck that plowed into a group of people, killing men, women, and children indiscriminately.
To all these things I want to cry out to the whole world WHY CAN'T WE JUST LOVE EACH OTHER?!?
To you, the racist I say: we are all on this earth together, learn to love your neighbor of another skin color. We are all the same, some of us just got a little more pigment in their skin. Get over it.
To you, the person who despises Muslims as a whole I say: The religion is one of peace. Islam, the word itself, means Peace. Love those who are around you, Muslims are some of the nicest and most genuine people you will ever meet. They don't judge us because Hitler was also a white individual, don't judge them because of the people who have chosen to twist their religion. And let's be honest with ourselves for a moment, every religion throughout history has a had an extremist wing that has done things the rest of the people practicing that religion would never condone. E.G. the Klu Klux Klan and Christians.
To you, the individual who feels that persons with disabilities are a weight upon society I say: Have you ever met an individual who struggles with some sort of disability? Those with Autism are usually the smartest people in the room. Those with Down's Syndrome are usually the sweetest, most hilarious, and most incredible individuals in the room. Those who struggle with physical disabilities are usually the strongest. Those who struggle with unnamed, but very real, disabilities are usually the most loving. Disability doesn't mean that they are useless or a drag on our resources, it just means they are stronger than those of us who will never have to struggle with those problems in our lifetime. I have never struggled with disability in my life. But I have some people very close to me who do, and can I just tell you right now, they are my inspiration, they are my strength. My uncle struggles with several disabilities of both the mental and physical kind and the sweetest and most strengthening words I have ever heard came from his mouth. They were: "Brigitte?" "Yes" "I love you, Brigitte" Don't you tell me that the persons with disabilities don't contribute to society, because you are unequivocally wrong. They are the reason many of us find the strength to change the world. They are the reason we wake up in the mornings and pick up the weight of the world. And to be really honest, persons with disabilities also change the world everyday. The inventor of Pokemon had Autism. Steven Hawking struggles with disabilities. Albert Einstein is suspected to have had Asperger's, a form of Autism.
To you, the individual who fears something they think is unnatural (*cough* homophobes *cough*) I say: You live your life, let them live theirs. Honestly just because you feel that to be a member of the LGBTQ community is wrong doesn't mean you get to treat those individuals any differently than you would treat me, a straight, white girl. I know people who find themselves in the LGBTQ community every day and they are some of the most loving and lovable people of my acquaintance. They are also the most accepting and we could all learn a lesson from them. You may not approve of their lifestyle, but that does not mean that you get to treat them as less than a person, or bully them. You treat them as you would treat your own self, you love them.
To you, who think the police are out to get all those of a certain race I say: You realize that these are the men and women who take their lives into their hands every single day? They walk into work not knowing if they will walk into their homes at the end of the day. And to be quite honest they are not perfect. No human is.
To you, the human reading this post, I say: Can we try a little harder to be a little better? Can we try a little harder to be a little bit more loving? When did life turn upside down and all of the sudden everyone who is not exactly like me is a threat to my very existence?
I tell you, life is not meant to be an endless stream of CNN notifications letting me know that somewhere else in the world 15 more people have died.
That is not how it is supposed to be, that is not how decent human beings treat one another.
There is so much hatred in the world right now, can we please try to spread some love? If we can't spread love, can we at least spread tolerance?
This globe we live on doesn't need more death. It doesn't need more violence. It doesn't need more anger. This globe we live on needs more life. It needs more love. It needs more kindness.
I know this letter won't reach very many people, but I do hope that those it reaches will open their minds and their hearts. That they will take the opportunity to be kind to at least one more person they pass along their way. If even one person makes a change to the way they are living, we've saved one more life, we've spread a little kindness and we've shared a little love.
Human Lives Matter.
Your life matters no matter who you are, what you believe, how you feel towards men or women, what your struggle is, what your job is, what religion you practice, what color skin you were born with. You Matter. You matter to me, and to your family. You matter to your neighbors, coworkers and friends. You Matter. Your life matters. Your determination matters. Your love matters. Your kindness matters. YOU MATTER.
So spread a little love. Spread a little kindness.
Hopefully you and I together can change our little corners of the world.
All my love,
Brigitte Hugh
A fellow human being
