Within The Heart 

Millions of various voices, diversely beautiful faces, and intriguing minds pass quickly by without a second glance from the other. Within each racing car sits a person, black, white, Hispanic, with thoughts untold and memories innumerable. It seems that many people forget the value and individuality of the masses. We are the masses and yet we criticize and slander each other. It seems that buried under laws, prejudices and petty selfishness lies the principles on which the founders of this country built. They wrote "All men are created equal" yet we have had to make laws to protect our brothers and sisters from tortuous slavery and bondage. 

Within many hearts lie subconscious prejudices that emerge from lack of love for all people as opposed to love for those in the immediate surroundings; the people with the same economic status, family structure and upbringing. Society segregates into comfortable towns of each social class. Over here the houses are this much money and over there they are cheaper. Then within each town the dwellers see only one type of status; they do not see the struggles and lives of the other groups. The children within each community learn one way, and one people with only one way to live. It is hard to treat all people the same when the strangers portrayed to be poor because of laziness when in fact the case is completely different. The children see soldiers going into other countries and killing different colored people, the companies from America going to poorer countries and exploiting the people, sanctions that starve families. It is hard though to see the truth through the filters society puts over children's eyes; it is hard to see the filters themselves. These filters seem to say "eye for an eye" or "It is not your responsibility to help. Let them help themselves" when we are all humans created equal. Who will take the responsibility to help people who have never been taught how to maintain a house or a good work ethic, people whose education systems teach nothing because of a lack of supplies, or people who have not received the love and equality that all humans deserve? Life is not about living for self and pushing off any responsibility onto the other person. 

The lawmakers try to say that the laws will help to bring about equality, but it is the hearts that need to change; change from greed to love for all humanity. Love is the only thing that can bring people together; not laws forcing people to treat each other equally. The answer is to "Love your neighbor as yourself" and "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." 

By Abigail Bell 

(A senior who "failed" the MEAP writing her first time through) 
 
 
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