Living with Purpose by living the Golden Rule

 

Pictured above is Ms. Amber Patrice Riley, known best for her role as Mercedes Jones on the Fox musical comedy show Glee. She's also a current contestant on season 17 of Dancing With the Stars and one of my favorite actresses, who I'm using to make a point today. Part of living with a purpose is learning to accept those you don't know for who they are, instead of being critical of them. Anyone who has watched Dancing with the Stars knows that they are known for shocking upsets and one such upset occurred last night when R&B singer Christina Milian was voted in the bottom 2 and eliminated from the show.

The elimination sparked outcry and hateful comments from many fans, quite a few making biased comments against the "fat black lady" (Amber), saying she was a "horrible dancer" and only stayed because there is a huge bias in the eyes of the judges in favor of her pro partner, 4 time  DWTS champ Derek Hough.  What shocks me is the negative comments made against her because of her race and weight, with one Huffington Post user calling her a "pant load". Which brings me to my point.

As I strive to live with purpose I see that so many people in today's world have forgotten what it means to be kind, even to those you don't know. As a plus sized young woman just a little younger than Amber (I'm 23, she's 27) I wonder why people would stoop to calling her fat and a pant load and how they would feel if the same names were directed at them. I was always taught to accept people for who they are. I also wonder what kind of values this teaches young men and women today. Are we going to tell them it's okay to call a person a "pant load" just because they are larger than the size two ideal that magazine covers and models paint for us or are we going to live by the value of treating each other as we want to be  treated.

How do you think we should teach future generations to view others who may be of a different size, race, etc, than them? Comment below!