Maybe if everyone would stop offending and being offended.....

[Avalux]

we could all learn to get along in spite of our differences. We are not all the same, that natural fact cannot be changed. Yet homogenous groups of human beings since the beginning of time have seen this fact as a negative, something to be stamped out and extinguished.

These groups strive to make us all the same in thought and form according to the group's laws, which only leads to violence and death. There never will be a utopia of sameness on this planet. Can you imagine how boring that would be anyway?

I want to live in a world where we celebrate the differences; where we respect all religions or lack therof; where we delight in diversity and are in awe of our uniqueness and the variety of colors and shapes of the human race. Where we live every day in peace, sharing experiences and learning from each other.

Can you imagine what we could accomplish?

[liberalmuse]

1. The problem is, it's a zealots job to be continually offended.

And unfortunately, this country and this world has a lot of those.

[gateley]

2. I'm thinking it might be a survival thing -- different = threat?

Regardless, at this point in time, and with our daily exposure to those who are "different", we should know that's not necessarily true.

[Avalux]

3. That makes a lot of sense.

When the earth's population was sparse and people were tribal, different did equal a threat. But as you also point out, we should know better, as more and more people are crammed on this earth all mixed together.