We Can Be Kind, Thoughts of Jamey Rodemeyer

Jamey Rodemeyer

In listening to Jamey Rodemeyer talk about being bullied in his "It Gets Better" video, he sounds as if he has come to terms with his sexuality but I also sensed a good deal of loneliness. He seems to be trying to talk himself into believing what he is saying. I find it so sad that Jamey, and so many other gay youths, have to feel the great burden of hate. And what is even sadder is the fact that this hatred is often wrapped in the guise of "Christian ethos" but is as unchristian as something can be. How can one be a Christian and have a soul so filled with hate and anger.

It's also sad to realize Jamey was bullied by his peers to the point that suicide was the only way he could deal with his situation. What pain he must have felt to come to that dark place. And where was the school authorities during his torment? And why do people think it is acceptable to practice hatred. When did this mean spiritness become something these bullies feel they are entitled to use against anyone they do not agree with? And I would imagine that most often these bullies have to go out of their way to harass their victims.

I'm reminded of the words David Friedman wrote for his song "We Can Be Kind":

We can be kind
We can take care of each other
We can remember that deep down inside
We all need the same thing.

It would be a much better world if everyone would realize that all of us have the same basic need to be loved and respected and how much wasted energy goes into hating rather than loving. Didn't Jesus Christ give the one great commandment, "Love thy neighbor as thyself". But that may be the problem, the hatred and the bulling may cover a unrealized selflothing. ... because how can one love someone else if they can not love themselves?

After Matthew Shepard, there was such an outcry against antigay behavior that many thought changes would be seen ... didn't happen! More recently, Rutger freshman, Tyler Clementi's suicide raised many issues of gay harassment to center stage but seems to have little, if any, effect on the continuing verbal attacks on gay youths and the continued high suicide rate among gay teens, which runs three to six times higher than heterosexual teens. I wonder how many of those teen bullies are following their parent's examples?

I only hope that one day we will all embrace each other and learn to tolerate our differences. If someone or something does no harm to us, why should we be so intolerant and hateful? We can be kind and the world will be a better place for it!