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This picture showed up on Post Secret the other day. Normally, I don't check out the site, but I was told that a gem was on it that particular day, and it was. 

The longer I look at this picture, the more clearly a strong statement against -isms emerges in my mind. 

"Maybe if you knew why... you would stop making":

Comments about depression, jokes about OCD, snide comments about rape. Joke about girls not eating or throwing up their food. Maybe if you only knew you wouldn't talk about women in short skirts in front of me. Or make rude jokes about the woman in the wheel chair or calling people "retards".  You would cease to whisper about the ESL student in the classroom. 

I have dear friends who have to face jokes about situations are real and that have changed them every day. I have to sit through jokes about my own struggles as well. When will we stop using "humor" (if you can even call it that) to avoid dealing with our fears. We need to face the people in front of us and treat them with respect, we need to treat ourselves with respect. And that can only be done by acknowledging the whole person, struggles and all. I have hope that we can hold the hands of our brothers and sisters and fight against the injustices and prejudices expressed through crude jokes and snide comments that just perpetuate isms. The day is coming. The day is today.