Us and Them

Upon reading Us and Them by David Sedaris, I began to wonder if I, in fact, am too judgmental of others. Everyone is guilty of making fun of another because he or she may dress differently than you, have religious views unsimilar to yours, or be from a different country. If one were to take a look back through history, one could see that bridging the gap betweens societies and religions is no easy task and is one that mankind may never accomplish.

Adults have a responsibility to teach the children of the world to be accepting of others no matter their beliefs or lifestyle. However, many parents today act just as the mother in Us and Them did, and do not teach their children acceptance, but rather prejudice. There is an old saying stating that "ignorance breeds ignorace." In this story, as well as in today's society, this proves to be all too true in most cases.

I have three younger siblings: two brothers, ages fifteen and thirteen, and a sister, age seven. I also have three nephews that are six, three, and seven months old. As someone they admire, I have always done my best to teach them to be accepting of those around them. While it is no easy task, especially with my younger sister, Scout, I believe it is most certainly worthwhile.