Not Enough

I realized too late that the You Are Loved Chalk Project was on October 10th this year.  I was happy to walk across campus and see some chalking near the fountain.  Perhaps next year, we can make a group effort on campus.
http://www.chalkmessages.org/Getting_Involved.html

Dan Savage, columnist of The Stranger and Savage Love podcaster, is probably best known for the It Gets Better Project and the It Gets Better book.  I first heard him on This American Life and enjoy listening to his podcast.  We have  his book at the library if you are interested and his column and podcasts are easy to find online:
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove?oid=10480174

Recently, David Valdes Greenwood wrote the article, "It Got Better for Me...But That's Not Good Enough" in The Huffington Post.  
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-valdes-greenwood/it-got-better-for-mebut-t_b_1021006.html

It struck a cord with me thinking about my friends growing up and wanting to make sure they knew I was "straight but not narrow." Along the way, there were people that struggled.  There were people who lost the struggle and, I know that sexuality may have been a factor.  I hope that the publicity of the recent gay teen suicides will be a call to action.  Years and years ago, there was quiet speculation but today, things are different. So, things should be different altogether.  We should be an accepting society that is aware of what is going on around us and educating children to grow to be tolerant, accepting teenagers and compassionate, unprejudiced  adults.  

But that am I doing? How am I making the world better?  It is great that I am an open minded liberal who wants everyone to love everyone, but that isn't enough.  Being  isn't enough. We need to DO.

So, I am trying to teach love and acceptance to the children in my life and, as I read the little ones stories about a shiny finned fish and the fish that stands up to the big shark, I am going to nudge them between the lines.  And, as a librarian, I will find more, age appropriate books to teach them acceptance and liberal thinking.