#pray for the world

I don’t care that this isn’t fashion
I don’t care that I may lose followers over this
This is something that I will never stop caring about
Love. Is. Love. And we don’t get to choose who we love. Love is blind, to everything! Race, gender, religion. Discrimination and hate is a disease to human kind that spreads like wild fire. So many minorities don’t know the meaning of the word acceptance. Even though gay marriage was legalized, that doesn’t mean that things are perfect for LGBT+ people. The law might finally be on our side in that one aspect but people’s refusal to accept that some people love differently than others means that for a lot of us, for a lot of LGBT+ individuals, we do not know the meaning of the word acceptance. No human should ever be treated this way for things they can not control. 50 people DIED and 53 people were INJURED because of someone’s refusal to accept. To try to understand. The amount of hatred in this world towards LGBT+ individuals and other minorities is saddening. Even if you are religious, even if you don’t “agree” with LGBT+ people and their “lifestyle” (even though I hate it when people call it a lifestyle) hopefully you can recognize that those 50 people didn’t have to die. Even if you don’t believe in God hopefully you recognize that Orlando needs support. Pulse needs support. LGBT+ individuals need support. This will never stop being important to me. Stand up for what you believe in, and I believe that there will come a day when people can look past such things as sexuality. Where we don’t judge others for something we can not control. I’ve never been too religious but I’m praying for Orlando because Orlando needs the support, the LGBT+ people needs support.

Kenya. Lebanon. France. USA.
All lives matter but obviously some matter more than others.

nick-3310:

The CN tower in Toronto Canada lit up black & yellow to show solidarity with Belgium after this horrific day. Canada stands with Belgium

A week ago my brother-in-law phoned me  at 4 a.m. My country was under attack. Bombs in the airport and metro killed 35 people and injured more than 300.

I was in shock and couldn’t believe terror has made its way only an hour from where I was born.

I remember the images of 9/11, the attacks in Madrid and London, the terror around the world caused by extremists. Then Charlie Hebdo happened, followed by the horror in Paris, attacks in Egypt, Tunisia, Istanbul, Nigeria  & Pakistan. They all made me sad and I felt truly with the victims. But when it happened in the country I was born, in it had an impact on me that I never felt before.
Immediately I felt I needed to paint my anger and frustrations away.

The next day I started to paint.  CNN was on the TV in my studio, my computer had the pages of the Belgium newspapers open. I couldn’t  focus or concentrate. I threw the painting away. The last week I have been following the news and I let it all sink in a bit.

2 Days ago I decided to try again. I don’t pretend I have the answers because I really don’t. I know the West is making mistakes as well. The images of the Syrian men, women and kids, with injuries just as horrible as the ones in Brussels are often caused by bombs from our planes. So who am I to judge and blame.
But, I refuse to live in fear. I refuse to blame the refugees. The vast majority of them are leaving their homes because of the same monsters who  just bombed Brussels. I refuse to blame all Muslims. Many of my friends are Muslims and they have always treated me with respect. I refuse to let hate take over.  I’m not going to give you a peace and love speech.  I am just expressing my feelings the way I am comfortable with - on the canvas, with my pallet knifes.

This is a painting that expresses how I feel. I wrote messages on the painting. Not just mine but many taken from pictures I saw in newspapers. The image of TINTIN is not mine but I thought he needed to be in there because he is Belgian. And just as all of us, he is sad about his country.

On Thursday the painting  will be at the art show in Playa. Anyone is welcome to write a message of hope, peace.

You can also write your message here.

All lives have an equal value. Don’t let what the media deems as important become your definition of what matters. Open your eyes and dig deeper. We live in a world filled with injustices, determine what they are and be apart of what changes them. Ignorance is not blissful nor is it cute. Stand for something or else you’ll be another victim who falls for anything. Live out your convictions.