Since starting at Bowling Green, everywhere I’ve been has sent the same message: celebrate diversity.

I have been raised to accept all people, but do we really need an entire month every year to celebrate different groups? All this country seems to be concerned about is making every person feel equal, but no one is treated that way.

We should be treating each other the same way by going each day having the same respect for one another.

My biggest concern is that the people in this country have taken their freedoms too far. Yes, there was slavery many years ago and it was a horrible time, but there is no need to continue to dwell upon it.

Granted, different races were not treated fairly, but now we have an opportunity to move on and grow as a nation. If you want to continue to whine about what happened so long ago, then be my guest.

Just don’t go around complaining that you got dealt a bad hand in life, when it is the individual that can make or break their own situations.

I often wonder why women still feel that they are not treated equally. It seems to be a lose-lose situation with any new issue.

So many of us gripe about how men have all the advantages in life, when in reality we truly have just as many advantages in our own lives. Women complained when Spike TV aired, because it had shows that portrayed women as nothing more than sexual objects, and had far too much violence.

Had these protestors ever heard of a little station called Lifetime? Each week this sad excuse for television either makes the man a cheating bastard, a lying jerk, or a deadbeat father. So spare me on the gender equality issue.

Another group that rallies for equality is the homosexuals. I know there aren’t equal rights for gay couples, so if people want to change this then that is their right as an American.

The issue I face is when someone who is not straight feels the need to announce it to every single life form in their vicinity. They want to be treated the same as everyone else and with great fairness.

Any civil person would treat them with the same respect as someone else, but how necessary is it to single yourself out and have to announce each day that you are gay? I am a straight white female, but I don’t feel the urge to tell this to everyone I come in contact with.

I prefer to be treated just like anyone else, so I don’t attempt to draw attention to myself by constantly vocalizing my sexual preferences.

Since when has being politically correct taken such a turn for the worse?

If a politician slips and says a general name for an ethnic group, forgetting to be PC, they might as well just leave their job. People are so upset at any little comment or any little slip that any person with authority makes.

Get over it already. Do you see the troops sobbing and whining over what John Kerry said? Rather than turning into a bunch of overly offended cry babies, they keep fighting for his pompous ass to freely make such remarks.

It’s great to have a country where we can truly all celebrate diversity and accept those around us.

The people who are trying so hard to push your minority or group to be singled out and appreciated, what message is that sending? We are all equal in this country, so we should all start acting like it.

We are all part of such a strong nation, so we need to stop getting so offended at everything, and show that we too are strong individuals who aren’t constantly whining.

The greatest part of all, is if you truly cannot stand this country and don’t feel like making any changes, you have the right to leave.

Send comments to Sarah Barnes at [email protected].