The Platinum Rule
By Maceo Keeling –
During this holiday season, let’s remember to be thankful and compassionate.
Many of us have heard of the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Frankly, I have always been suspicious of this rule. How do we know that the people with whom we interact share your values and belief system? Many times this miscalculation can cause unintended frustration, conflict, grief, and harm.
As a child my father reminded me to walk in the other person’s shoes before making judgments about them. People and things are not always the way they appear, and we need to take a moment and give people benefit, instead of doubt.
This is the underpinning of the “Platinum Rule”: Listen and engage the other person to find out how they want to be treated and then treat them that way. In my opinion this is the highest level of respect we can show each other, and to respect and acknowledge the differences between us. In this way we can expand our cultural understanding. We also become broader in our thinking.
Let’s acknowledge that each ethnicity in our society has experienced some degree of stereotyping, bigotry, or prejudice. We must not participate in these injustices. Latinos are marginalized for being immigrants. “Marginalization” also happens to our youth for being young, to Jews for being Jewish, to African Americans for being black, biracial people for their parents being black and white, to our LBGTQ-A community for their sexual identity, elderly for being old, the poor for being poor, and to women for not being men.
As of late, in our society we are criminalizing Muslims simply for their faith. Being a Muslim simply means that you embrace Islam. Islam simply means, one who submits to the will of the all in all. (Allah means “the all in all”).
This holiday season let’s practice tolerance and understanding of our country’s cultural uniqueness. We have a rich and diverse community of people in our great nation. Let’s take time to acknowledge and embrace the differences between our people to become an even greater nation. Let’s look inside ourselves to bring out our best qualities, to represent what we believe will make our nation and world a better place in which to live.
Remember, we don’t have to be great to start something, but we do have to start something to become great! Answer the call!
Happy Holidays!
The Conscious Call radio program airs every Monday at 11:30 a.m. on WRES-FM 100.7. In a collaboration with the radio program, the Urban News will help keep readers informed about events, programs, news, and the progress of The Conscious Call. The opinions and statements made in this column are solely the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of the Urban News.
