chosen

When I was younger, and went to religious school, we were taught that Jews were the chosen people.

I never could quite wrap my head around the concept of chosen people being so extraordinarily persecuted for thousands of years - that made no sense to my preteen self. Nor did the idea that a religion I happened to be born into made me special somehow. I didn't choose this. This was just how I came into the world.

Deep thoughts for a 10 year old.

Although, I wasn't thinking about it quite so deeply when I was 10. I felt something about those  mindsets didn't feel true or right.

Looking back, how extraordinarily divisive that was - teaching young children they're more important or more special or more loved or more honored than others. And yet, it goes on all the time, an insidious practice of judgement, often bordering on hate. Countries, religions, regions, sexes, races - everyone is in on this game somehow. Young is better than old, white is better than brown, men are better than women, north is better than south, thin is better than fat, abled is better than disabled, Christianity is better than everything else.

For too many, those mindsets are so ingrained, they're fact, noopinion.

What if we started looking at other people as humans and treated them with the respect we feel we deserve ourselves?

Like what if Mitch McConnell tried to understand how his healthcare bill would devastate people would need help? What if Betsy DeVos talked to transgender students about the struggles they have and she really listened? What if Paul Ryan paid attention to constituents instead of politics?

Crazy, right? I almost thought I was onto something for a moment or two.