This past week will go down in the annals of time as a huge milestone in modern society. On June 26, 2015, same-sex-marriage was legalized in every single state in America. This fight for basic human equality has been raging for years now. It's only been a day since the decision and it already feels strange to look back and wonder why this was ever a debate in the first place. In my mind there is no legitimate, logical reason to be against gay marriage. When you oppose the rights of others to marry, you oppose human rights in general. Who the hell is anyone to say that someone of a specific sect should not be allowed to do something that you ARE allowed to do. It is by far one of the most evil, arrogant ways to look at someone who is "unlike" you. It's even more perplexing that people are against something that literally has no effect on you.
So on to the first sync I experienced this week. It started with an observation that is only relevant to myself and the people in my Anthropology course. I find it very fitting that the week I'm studying 'Marriage Customs' is the same week that gay marriage is legalized.
Last week, another shooting occurred in the U.S. Just when you think they are a thing of the past, Dylann Roof shatters your expectations. Roof open fires on a predominantly black church in South Carolina. When Roof's pictures on the internet come to light, it is revealed that he has a deep affinity for the confederate flag (no shock there).
So now there is a focus on this flag that is known for being synonymous with hate. Rational minds want the flag taken down, while bigots and homophobes defend its historical significance.
Within the time span of just a few days, our attention is pulled from one end of the spectrum to the other. The flag of hate is symbolically "taken down" and replaced with the rainbow flag, which is obviously synonymous with love. When same sex marriage is legalized, your internet feed is instantly changed. Instead of the confederate flag plastering your point of view, it is arguably, systematically replaced by the rainbow flag. Positive replaces the negative swiftly.
Besides the flag of love waving high and proud, a hashtag floods the internet. #LoveWins. Almost a direct message saying: 'We Fought Hate and Won!" It reminds me of the Martin Luther King quote, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
Now, it is no coincidence to me that on the same day same sex marriage is legalized, celebrity, Courtney Love tweets about being stuck in the middle of the Paris Uber Strike.
This entire sequence of events reminded me that synchronicity never takes a day off. One last thing I want to mention is some choice words I chose to use throughout this post. Words such as synchronicity (duh), synonymous, symbolically, systematically
We are witnessing firsthand, unity. It is a slow and uphill battle but you can't deny that we as a people are evolving a little more every single day. It's always a great thing to wake up to great news and it feels like it never seems to happen anymore. We can only hope that this is a sign of great things to come.
Onward & Upward!
-Dom
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