Drawing the line.

[emhain]

A man and his fiancé got engaged on national television (he is a college football player). They are now receiving threats from complete strangers based on the fact that he is black and she is white. At what point did the lives of complete strangers become our business? When will we realize that putting others down for their choices only brings us down? What business is it of ours if these two choose to marry? If you do not think that interracial marriages are appropriate, don’t have one. But leave other people alone. I, personally, don’t believe that wearing short sleeves in weather colder than 65 degrees is appropriate but it would never occur to me to harass and degrade people who do. Because that is their choice and it has absolutely no bearing on my life.

  

A woman called my daughter a brat once. I don’t know this woman, we were just on the same bus. My daughter was about 3 and was chattering about her day at preschool and all the things she could see out the window. Apparently, this annoyed the woman, who looked away from me and muttered (not very quietly) “little brat!” When did it become appropriate in our society to judge people and criticize them before bothering to get to know them at all? When did it become socially acceptable to openly insult a child to whom you are in no way connected? My daughter was not bothering anyone, she was not screaming, or even loud. This woman had no reason and no right to insert herself into my world.

  

Those are just two small examples, but I see a growing trend of people unable and/or unwilling to mind their own business. If you see a child who has wandered away from his mom- yes, you help him to find her. But if you see a child eating a snack that has, in your opinion, too much sugar- keep your mouth shut and your face neutral. You have absolutely no way of knowing whether that child is enjoying their celebratory birthday soda or if it’s their all-day drink. Do you know why you don’t know? Because it’s none of your business.

  

Prevent HARM. Stop the child who got away from dad and is running toward the street. Provide tissues to the child at the park who got a bloody nose. Help the elderly man get that gallon of milk out of the cart. But stop there. Do not scold the dad whose child ran- your kids do it too and you know it. Do not shake your head at the mother who neglected to bring her own tissues to the park- you’ve forgotten things before. And do not comment on how the old man should have help to go shopping- if you find yourself old and alone, you wouldn’t want perfect strangers pointing out your solitude.

  

My point here is that you know your world. You do not know mine. If you have a comment, please think before you speak. You may just be the 9,000th person to point out that my daughter’s pigtails are crooked. And that is neither helpful nor appreciated, no matter what you think.

 

[Nonoluna]

Jul. 27, 2007 at 10:49 AM Well said!!!

[proudmama4]

Jul. 27, 2007 at 1:12 PM Agreed!

[babybear910]

Aug. 6, 2007 at 1:59 PM

AMEN!!

 

[FriendlyMoma]

Aug. 10, 2007 at 11:12 AM Totally agree, we really think alike!