Dear Editor,

Once upon a time, we recognized everyone is different.
Brothers and sisters raised in the same household can be tremendously different from one another, but share common ties that bind them; Family, community, morals, ethics, shared experiences.
Everyone recognizes this in some capacity. Look at your friends; They are likely from a similar background, region and share similar experiences, you likely share a common language and some core ethics and morals.
You wouldn’t look at your friends, who you likely share a locality and culture with and decide “They’re too similar, I’ll have to discard them and get friends that are more different so I have a more diverse group of friends.”
Likewise you wouldn’t look at your friends, compare yourself to them and say “Good, my friends are different enough from me that I have achieved an equitable social circle.” but if you did you might want to consider why you’re friends with them in the first place. Who they are, or who they aren’t?
Why would we focus on who people aren’t in our community? Why would we teach children to do the same in our schools?
Maybe it’s old fashioned, but I remember a time where we recognized it’s not our differences that matter, but what we share in common. If you go out looking for differences, you’ll find them. It’s not hard.
What’s worthwhile is finding what we agree on and can bring us together.

Sincerely,
Steve Sioma
Clarkston