R: My next tattoo is going to be two skulls with a blade running through them and the words "Death before dishonor."

C: Tattos are a sin against God.

R: Who taught you this?! That's a bunch of bullshit. One of your stupid-ass Catholic school teachers probably taught you that after smoking some bud during lunch.

At this point C is left speechless and runs off crying. Mind you C is an eleven-year-old little girl. R, on the other hand, is considerably older. This little girl is at a point in her life where she should be encouraged to pursue different beliefs and choose which are right for her. Instead, she is ridiculed and laughed at by someone she loves very much. Now most of you are probably saying, who cares about a stupid tattoo? And I agree completely. It's not the content of the conversation that appalled me more than the mere fact that R decided that he needed to challenge this little girl in something that she herself doesn't even understand.

Sometimes when people do not understand certain beliefs, cultures, ways of life, they make fun of them to cover up their own insecurities. R felt the need to destroy a little girl's beliefs to make himself feel better and maybe to alleviate some of the anguish he felt over what she had said. Maybe subconsciuosly R feared that the little girl could be right. Only R knows the answer to that question.

There will always be people around to destroy and damage and try to change something that doesn't need to be changed. No one should ever be afraid to share his or her thoughts and opinions. And no one should ever tolerate ridicule. It is the truly brave person who, despite the goliaths that stand in the way, slings the stones of truth and individuality and tolerance and hits those goliaths straight between the eyes.

Tolerate the differences, celebrate them, for they make us who we are. Fill your day with love and happiness! Love, Supersteph