A Confession...

OK... I must confess that I am at least mildly xenophobic, specifically islamophobic, homophobic, racist, and misogynistic.  In short, I have a hard time understanding or totally accepting anyone who is not like me.  I believe that my attitudes toward "others" grew with me in my culture, and I am trying to progress in knowledge and understanding as my culture also progresses.  I hope one day to truly accept others and celebrate our differences, but I also believe that there will always be and should always be differences.  As it is I do not believe I am a bigot, because I tolerate all those differences and believe everyone should be treated with respect and kindness.

I confess that I am a part of the social injustices of the world.  I possess more than I need, I eat more than I need, I spend more than I need, while others are hungry and homeless.  I try to do something to help, but I don't know that I am doing enough.

I confess that I am a part of the degradation of the global environment.  My carbon footprint is far too large, and I have not yet attempted to significantly reduce it.  I still have to work on that.

I further confess that my lifestyle contributes to the "American Way of Life" used as an excuse to entangle our great nation in costly conflicts in the oil-rich Middle East.  I must bear my portion of the blame for these wars.

I confess to being politically conflicted, and maybe hypocritical.  How can I be anything but a socialist having grown up as a military dependent (with free medical care), and then working in public education, a unionized, government institution, for 30 years, and now drawing a pension from the state.  This certainly seems socialist in practice, but I try to deny it.

I could go on.  I could confess to a lot more things but, I guess I am confessing to being human... a flawed, part-of-problem, human.

I recognize that the burden of guilt I carry with me is a "first world problem," and it is nothing compared to the real deprivation and dangers faced by so many in the world today.  I feel I have the moral duty to find better ways to be part of the solution to the problems of the world.  The saying seems appropriate: if not me, who?  If not now, when?  If not here, where?

I confess that I have a long way t go...