so here's a post on same-sex marriage, abortion, gun rights, immigration, and every other debatable social issue that we can all relate to, i think.

we all want to feel a little bit safer at home, and a little less afraid of the unknown. we all want to have a clearer idea of what home means, and where our home is. we all want to feel okay with who is welcomed into our home, and who is not. we all want to feel welcome in our own home, as we define geographically where our home is, and who geographically is in that home with us.

we all want to feel that our idea of love is valid in the eyes of our society, whom we obviously cherish--otherwise, where is the debate? if we don't care about our society and it's influence on us to some important enough degree, what are we fighting for? we all want to feel that our society is a safe place, a place that seeks justice for humanity. we all want to create a safe world for future generations.

we all want to feel that we have a right to choose the best possible outcome for our own lives. we all want to be in control of our lives. we all want society to choose the highest and greatest good, as goodness makes sense in our minds and lives.

we all want to protect ourselves and our loved ones, we all want to live in the safest communities possible, as we see that ideal safe community.

we all want safety. we all want love. we all want acceptance. we all want to live in a society that seeks the greater good for mankind. we all want to feel welcomed. we all want to feel protected.

the bottom line is that we just define it differently.

with this realization, i've shifted my political stance on almost every topic from "this-is-how-it-should-be-for-all" to "what-is-the-best-compromise-here?"

if i'm being honest, i really like it this way.

the light and dark within us all is reason for humanity.

i don't think any other news story in my life has pulled at my heart the way this one has.

i believe in the immense good that permeates the communities in which we live.

i also believe in the capacity for bad. i don't for a second doubt evil, it is real, and it pulsates in and out of the hearts of every one of us.

we are all capable of greatness.

we are all capable of mistakes. big ones. whether it's jihadists, two young boys accidentally involved or not, innocent marathon runners, terrorists, corporate leaders, or the FBI.

and all i'm saying is that i get it. i know what it's like to be human. whether you are malala yousafzai, miley cyrus, or malia obama, you are human. you have experienced hunger, laughter, sadness, boredom, pain, abundant joy, disappointment, fear to complete terror, heart-swelling love, and everything in between.

if you are reading this, you are human. you have experienced being human. you understand.

where is your humanity, i plead?

i shed tears for our humanity. i long for our humanity. whether you're american, indian, russian, or african, i love you. whether you are a police officer who shot down my framed husband or a terrorist who murdered my innocent loved one while policing a 7/11, i love you.

i am not in the heat of it now, but i'm sharing this because i need to remember that i love you. i need to remember the humanity within me, and to not let the evil and the hate take over. hate is hate. closed-mindedness creates hate. understanding and empathy create love. love is love.

let humanity reign. let love reign.