It needs to stop.
Paris was attacked. We know, its all over the news. It's terrible, it's tragic, words cannot express my sadness at the losses. Countless hearts of stopped beating. Countless loved ones lost. Countless futures ended. The world bleeds. Peace seems unachievable. Like it will never be attained. ISIS is the name on everyone's lips. ISIS is being murmured at the dinner table, the bus stop, the coffee shop. Everywhere. It's being shouted by the media, across the world. But so is hate. Hate against innocent people. Hate for the Muslims. Hate for the Syrians. Hate for anyone in north America that looks like they are from the middle east or practice a religion other than Christianity or Catholicism. Leave, the people shout. Go home! If you don't like our ways, if you won't be like us, then get out! Don't let the refugees in, it's their fault. Don't let the Muslims in, they are ISIS. Only save the Christians. Only save the whites. Only save the people that look like us, that think like us, that act like us, that believe what we believe. ISIS, ISIS, ISIS. Save our people! Get rid of the Muslims. Bomb them! Destroy them! Let them burn in the turmoil they've created with their barbaric beliefs! Is this really what humanity has come to? Is this really how civilized people behave? North America has adopted a "holier than thou" attitude, and yet, and yet we are intolerant, selfish and incapable of empathy. Incapable of doing what any human should do for another?! I'm sorry America, you think you are better than ISIS?! Just stop it. Stop blaming innocent people for a war they didn't create. Stop the hate. Stop pleading your government to turn away refugees. People, innocent people who are literally running for their lives, running to save their children, their families. Leaving their homes behind, leaving everything they know and love and cherish behind, just so they can live! We are meant to help those in need. We do not own the world! You cannot refuse people who are seeking safety. If you could turn people away that are desperately looking for safety for their family, their CHILDREN, then you are no better than ISIS. You are no better. You hate religion that condones violence? EVERY RELIGION has at one point condones violence. Every religion has extremists. Every religion has a dark history. How dare you assume that you are better than someone else based on a belief system you know nothing of. ISIS doesn't represent all Muslims. ISIS doesn't represent all middle eastern culture. ISIS doesn't represent all Syrians. Stop the hate. Stop the ignorance. Stop aiding in ISIS' efforts to isolate and destroy these people. Muslims, Syrians, middle eastern people of every culture have lost far more lives to ISIS than any westerners have. Just because people want to escape the war and strife in their country doesn't mean they should say goodbye to all of their beliefs and traditions to seek safety. Imagine our countries were experiencing war, real war, right ourside our doors every day, and we needed to flee. Imagine that people spoke out about how terrible Canadians and Americans were, don't let them in! Make them abandon their culture. They are terrorists. Don't let them in. Just imagine that for a second. You are trying to run for your life to keep your family safe and you're abandoning everything you know and love, just for safety! And they say no! No, turn around and go back, you deserve it. You know what, based on our attitudes, our actions, that's exactly how our countries would deserve to be treated. Intolerance. Hate. Racism. Superiority. Violence. No compassion. No empathy. No respect. Selfishness. Ignorance. That is the legacy you are creating for north America. That is the poison you are spreading. Our world is in trouble. We claim to be the hero's, the saviours, the civilized ones, the peace keepers, the helpers. If that is the case, why don't we hold true to our names. Our ideologies. Canada and America are a countries that once prided themselves on the beautiful cultural mosaic that made up their populations. Why then do we cherry pick the cultures and religions we're willing to accept?! It needs to stop. We need to help the INNOCENT people. They did nothing wrong. Stop the hate. Stop the blaming. Stop the racism. Just stop! No one said you need to believe in their god, or practice their culture. Just appreciate that people are different. Just appreciate that that difference is what makes this world beautiful. Save the Syrians. Stop the hate. Stop the harming of innocent people. Do not hate Muslims, attack Muslims, and then pretend you are better than ISIS. You are ISIS, if that is how you chose to behave. My heart aches every day for the lives lost. For the poor souls just searching for freedom, for safety. My heart aches when I see the media flooded with hatred. Flooded with hate speech and racism. Flooded with ignorance. Just stop it.