Recently, my social media has been flooded with so much hatred, violence, discrimination, and division; a reflection of, to some extent, what I believe to be the current state of our country.
Today, from 2-5 an event is being held in front of the ETSU library to show support for our students, with the goal of bringing people together and recognizing that they are not alone in whatever hatred, discrimination, or divide they are currently experiencing.
I am unable to attend this event, but my friend and colleague @mariahleigh11 came up with the idea for individuals to take a picture with the message “I am a safe place,” post it to social media, tag your friends, and use the hashtag #iamasafeplace. My goal by being involved is to expand this beyond rural East Tennessee, as I recognize that this divide is not isolated to just our area
This is not about the election results, it’s about bringing unity to our country that is so detrimentally divided in so many ways. No matter your political stance, race or ethnicity, religious background, gender identity, or sexual orientation, our country will not move forward unless we are willing to work together and stand united, despite our differences. This isn’t about changing your views, it is about respecting others, being kind and understanding, and supporting one another. We don’t have to agree on everything, but until we agree that working TOGETHER is what is best to move our country forward, we won’t be moving forward at all.
“Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has not solved one yet.” - Maya Angelou