The Nowhere Man

During times of social change people tend you regress to the beliefs that they’ve held true to the root. Interestingly, when these beliefs do not coincide with the said change, these people are oftentimes seen as discriminatory or prejudiced. Sadly the proponents of the change we wish (and yes, I say “we” with myself included) to see in this world must learn to accept the things we cannot change (e.g. religious beliefs that do not allow gay marriage or close-mindedness that does not allow an opposition to racism) and move on accordingly with what we believe is right.

I find that the strongest pieces of advice I can give you are these two things:

Firstly, know thyself. It sounds very Ghandi-esque and spiritualistic but at its deepest root it’s no more than a mantra for self-realization. Know what YOU believe. Stick to what YOU believe. Understand how the things you believe shape who YOU are. By knowing oneself, one can finally rid oneself of the hate of others. This brings me to my second point: respect others.

When I was a junior in high school I attended the NAIS SDLC POCC (National Association of Independent Schools Student Diversity Leadership Conference and People Of Color Conference). At this conference there was one thing that the leaders tried to demonstrate to the student through various workshops and lessons: regardless of where one lies in the world, he or she should respect the values of others and, in turn, respect the person who holds those values even if they don’t agree with the values you hold true. This is how we keep diversity alive. This is how we become diverse.

Though these two concepts are simplistic and pristine, there is such a lack of self-realization and respect in this world. Honestly, when I was thinking about posting this video I wasn’t sure I should. Questions like “What would my Christian friends think of what I’m doing?” or “Will people think I’m gay if I post a video about marriage discrimination?” ran wildly through my mind. But then I realized that I wasn’t adhering to the advice I just handed out so freely.

So here’s my piece. My name is Matthew Mahboub. I am a straight male who believes that marriage discrimination is something hypocritical in the American justice system (something that Jesus himself preached so rampantly against), I believe in the Christian God but I also believe that as a Christian it is my job to respect and accept others regardless of their ability, age, race, gender, ethnicity, religion, socio-economic status, and/or sexual orientation. By respecting these people I’m not necessarily giving them my approval about their actions; I’m simply realizing that they are human beings and they deserve the same, if not more, respect that I too intend to receive.

I hope this is understandable. I hope not to offend anyone. But hey, if I do, I respect you for sticking to your beliefs even though I obviously don’t agree and I respect you as a human being. Simple as that.

-MM