Andrew Bundy

For Earth Day, a special short story: Earth v. Humans.

Aliens from Planetary Welfare Services sue humans on behalf of Earth and its ecosystems. The lead counsel, Erdmann Barrister, must contend with creatures that look like an arachnophobe's nightmare in a can, mountains of evidence detailing humanity's neglect, and an oddly elegant octopus. Should he fail, humans will lose custody of their home world...or worse.

https://www.wattpad.com/story/221700847-earth-v-humans

Earth v. Humans The fate of humanity hangs in the balance. Aliens from Planetary Welfare Services, headed by a race known as Bureaunian...

The 50th anniversary of Armstrong and Aldrin's first steps on the moon is more than just a celebration of one of our greatest achievements. It reminds us of how ingenious and innovative we can be, the importance of pushing the boundaries of technology and exploration, and our ability to unite as one, even if for a moment of awe at humanity's first steps onto another world.

As many of you have heard by now, our town has been hit by tragedy. Like all hate- and bigotry-fueled violence, the shooting at Chabad of Poway synagogue is truly horrific and reprehensible beyond words. But, I know our community will come together to support and lift each other up. In that spirit, I encourage you to share the following message so that we might strive to extinguish such atrocities. Thank you.

Few things are more despicable than hate. The mentality and culture of hate and bigotry are some of the worst aspects of human nature and modern society. Hate is a divisive, destructive force that seeks to weaken us by pushing us apart, and it is the duty of us all to combat intolerance and hatred in all its forms, wherever we see it.

However, the way to do this is not to react with more hatred or look down upon those who don't share our viewpoints. When we talk to someone who doesn't share our opinions, we should not approach it as a conversation to be "won," or do everything in our power to convert that person to our "side." This only causes them to further hunker down in their entrenched beliefs.

Instead, we should approach such dialogue with an open heart and mind. Rather than repudiate someone for an opinion opposite our own, we should seek to understand their reasoning. Rather than lecture, listen. This does not necessarily mean we accept their views, but it allows us to learn more about ways of thinking outside our own.

It is through learning the underlying reasoning behind other people's opinions that we realize we are more alike than society's myriad of arbitrary categories tell us. Even though our opinions and actions may appear different at first, at our core we are all driven by common desires, common wants, common needs: safety, belonging, meaning, love.

Of course, within every group there are dogmatic radicals who consider those unlike themselves as their "enemy," as a threat to be eliminated. These zealots seek to stoke fear and vilify the "other" in order to solidify the us-versus-them mentality they rely upon to justify their violence and hatred. Fortunately, such extremists do not represent the majority.

The truth is, many people simply haven't had the opportunity to interact with those outside their so-called tribe. As a result, they know only what they have been told, and if that information comes from radicals, they may adopt an us-versus-them mindset. However, this does not make them bad or evil, it only means they have yet to truly know those outside the tribe they identify with.

By interacting with those they have been told are "the enemy," many realize the commonalities far outweigh the differences. And the more open-minded the interaction, the more likely they are to come to this realization.

It is by seeking the humanity within all people that we can begin to erode the hatred seeking to drive us apart, regardless of how much we disagree with their beliefs and opinions or how different they seem. Because no matter how hard some try to convince us otherwise, no matter how hard hate tries to divide us, the undeniable truth is that we are all human.

And as one people, one tribe, we have the power to stop the hate—together.

Coming Out Aspie A cancer survivor continues to battle the side effects of his treatment while integrating into a new life.