Today was an interesting day, to say the least. Today my campus, UW-Whitewater held a positive rally against hate crimes. We're a really small community and with the two hate crimes that have occurred on campus here in the last year I wasn't really quite sure where our support was. Two years ago when a group of religious hate-preachers arrived on campus, we had the majority of the student body that couldn't wait for them to leave. That same year we held a movie showing that was highly controversial and a panel occurred afterward that featured LGBT students, Christian students and Pagan students. This discussion was facilitated and seemed to have gone well. The last two mentioned events heightened and restored my faith in humanity for the most part. Some of the things I've heard and read about in the last several months completely deteriorates that high that had been growing. Today rekindled that. Students from several different UW schools including Madison, Milwaukee and Waukesha along with Whitewater community members, Whitewater high school students, faculty and staff of UW-Whitewater and a large mass of proud UW-Whitewater students attended a rally in the hopes to stomp out hate crimes.
I have been to rallies in the past, including Washington D.C. and Madison. The energy at these rallies were absolutely powerful, thrilling and inspiring. After today, however, I've come to realize that no energy can match up to the power of local energy. For the majority of the rally I was near the back of the crowd and I was very pleased with the respect and response the crowd gave to the speakers. The second half of the rally was open mic where anyone could go up and say anything. While I was standing in the back of the crowd I considered the many things I could say and the many things that had already been said that needed to be said again. I battled with myself whether I wanted to step up the the challenge of facing a giant crowd of peers and speak with them. Eventually I gathered up the courage and nerves drove my adrenaline to grasp the microphone in a shaking hand. I looked up at the crowd and was nearly speechless... Every face was cheering and most of the attendees near the front were holding signs with powerful slogans and all I had responded with was a simple salutation. Several of my peers erupted into cheering and called my name from within the crowd. Everything I had even slightly prepared completely disappeared from my mind with the complete shock of the impact I've made on my colleagues.
I don't think they'll ever realize the impact they all made on me in the minute or two that I held onto that microphone. Especially not in the first 10 seconds. One of the main goals I have ever had in my life was to make a difference in people's lives whether I know them or not, whether it's announced or not. Just the fact that I hadn't even introduced myself and I had cheers for me coming from every angle of the crowd lightened my heart. I can be that inspiration for people. I can be that familiar face that I wish I had through my high school years. I can be that change.
I am merely one person. Now imagine how the world can change if we can all be those people. If everyone cheered us on when we are nervous or when we stand up for what we believe in. Imagine the world we could live in.
