How to Show that Extremism is NOT the Norm
Check this out, from what I experienced in Charlotte, North Carolina this week. Controversy can lead to solutions. And this picture is one of the groups I spoke with and their awesome addition to our #CollageOfCommunity to go with my film “Restoring Tomorrow”. North Carolina has been subject lately to many controversies and divisiveness. I found that once we opened up the conversation past the surface judgment stage, we would all find more common ground then you would think.
When people ask questions and people actually listen, it’s amazing the conversations that can emerge. In giving one of my speeches, the question that came with the most weight and then agreement was from an older woman. She said, “But ya know Aaron, some groups of people are just bad (in reference to cultures, races and religions).” I’m used to questions like this at this point and with our current state of affairs, but this time I answered it a little differently. Here’s how it went… If you are to judge a group of people, then judge me first. Huhhh? Wuhhh? I’m a white male (I left out the Jewish part this time for simplicity). If one is going to judge groups, then judge me as a white male. I continued… white males in the last number of years in the United States have committed the most heinous acts, school shootings, mass murders, senseless catastrophic acts of violence, of any one type of person. Then I stood on a chair as though the jury was out to get me and I was convicted, raising my right hand. So, since I’m a white male, that’s my group, that’s my tribe, so then I’m guilty as charged. I must be one of them, since all white males must all be committing horrific acts of mass killing. The room was stunned.
But you are a good person, one person said. But that’s not true said another. So, now I wanted to break the ice. After all, I go places to speak of and to bring positivity and hope to all communities. So I concluded… we are not hear to focus on extremism and fanaticism. That is only the major outlier with just about any group of people, any culture, religion, race, etc. What I am hear, is to talk about commonality, this beautiful thing we can all find when we open our eyes, and in spite of our differences look to cores of who we are. We know we are all different. And that’s ok. We don’t all have to be besties. That’s ok. But judging a group of people because of the acts of a select few, that is not ok. Everyone is unique. It’s what makes humanity great. We need to focus on the humanity in us all. Then we can rise above all the petty noise to places of virtue, acceptance, and hope. Everyone applauded. I even got a few “Amen”s, and I smiled from ear to ear. So thank you Charlotte for challenging me and embracing me. So, who’s next?
