The Golden Rule: “Treat others the way you’d want to be treated.” We hear it so often that it has almost become an insensitive saying. Yet there are still problems with being kind and including people with disabilities or people of different races, religions, sexualities and lifestyles. People are people; we all possess a beating heart and a thinking mind, so we are all indeed human.

Those who suffer from disabilities such as Down’s Syndrome, Autism and Cerebral Palsy are sometimes unable to function without constant assistance, and unfortunately they are sometimes not given the chance to show their true colors to their fellow peers. Best Buddies has come together and helped these disabled students and people receive the recognition they deserve.

Best Buddies Week was March 23-27. One of the big campaigns was “Spread The Word To End The Word.” This campaign challenged students to remove the word “retard” from their everyday language, as it is misused and consequently becomes offensive. They also made bracelets and sold them at lunch for $1 to support this campaign. The Friendship Walk was on Sunday, April 26, and it raised money as well as awareness for those who are disabled and their disabilities. But normally, the Buddies do different activities, like going bowling or seeing a movie. Members also stay in contact with their Buddies throughout the year. In the end, this club is really an opportunity for disabled students to make great friends and to lead a normal life.

In the ’60s, America experienced endless racial riots. African Americans were eventually given “equal” rights. The word “equal,” though, is a loose term. Even today, racial discrimination is a huge issue. For what reason do people seem to want to exclude others just because of their skin color, or where they were born? They are still people, still humans.

The same goes for people of different religions and sexualities. The God or gods that one worships—or does not worship—should not be the business of anyone but that individual. Opinions are never wrong; it may not be your opinion, but that in no way makes it wrong. A guy can date a guy, and a girl can date a girl. It is love, and love is a precious gift. Feelings are called that for a reason; only that person can 100 percent know what he/she feels.

On March 26, the state of Indiana passed a bill that said restaurant waiters and waitresses could chose not to serve customers if they did not agree with their religious beliefs or if they were with their gay partner. The United States has sent a man to the moon, which is 238,900 miles away, yet is still unable to comprehend and deal maturely with same-sex relationships and religious differences. This bill—this discrimination—hurts. People are still people, no matter their beliefs, ideas, hopes and dreams.

Why is there a need that is felt to be hateful towards people who are different? When there is an issue in society, people tend to point fingers at the minority and make them a scapegoat, instead of taking the issue down to its real roots. Is playing the blame game really easier than solving a problem? Is it really worth it to hurt a fellow human being, just to protect or enforce a stubborn, uneducated and close-minded opinion? The world would be a much simpler, more peaceful place if everyone just accepted everyone else’s unique qualities and called it a day.