• Initiateofthevoid@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    23 hours ago

    I used to think similarly. The outright hatred, apathy, hostility… its sickening.

    But I stand by Mr. Rogers’ message. Look for the helpers.

    Humanity has always grappled with its angels and demons. No fictional evil could ever compare to the cruelty and apathy of real humans being real shit. But despite all that, humans keep trying, and have always kept trying.

    This isn’t the worst it’s ever been. This isn’t even the worst it’s been here. This isn’t even the worst it’s been, here, in living memory.

    If you know someone over the age of 60, you know someone older than the civil rights act.

    Even in a life where discrimination wasn’t possible so much as it was fundamental in society, John Lewis and MLK Jr. still had faith in humanity. They still believed in its potential. They still had faith in the face of all of that hatred and ignorance. Faith that a better nation and a better future could be forged in their lifetimes.

    And you know what? They were right.

    Even today, with all of these threats to return to a time when America was “great”… even now, this is still a better nation than the America of 1963. That is undeniable truth, and it is in large part thanks to heroes like them.

    If they could believe in the potential of humanity, I think it’s arrogant of us to disagree.

    • 4grams@awful.systems
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      20 hours ago

      I really do appreciate the words and the sentiment. I would normally agree but right now my faith is still shattered. I think there are good and amazing people, who have done magical and wonderful things. I just think that small and petty tyrants are more common and more indicative of humanity as a whole. That the righteous have to look up from underneath the bootheel of those who deserve to be crushed under one themselves. Instead, those type get to run the show, and obviously always have.

      This weekend has been bad mentally. I hope I can find some optimism again. I’m just so tired of expecting the worst and being proven right.

    • drhodl@lemmy.world
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      22 hours ago

      “John Lewis and MLK Jr. still had faith in humanity”

      Those guys were under the boot heel, and had no direction but up. I’d be more optimistic for the future of humanity if they were white dudes with everything to lose, agitating for an oppressed minority.