I love to take photos of flowers. (disclaimer: the flowers above were not taken by me) I take photographs of bouquets, flowers in a garden, wild flowers by the roadside and even weeds. Flowers are diverse in nature. So are we. The following analogy of people and plants have been mixed to try and explain a difficult thought. Not all will agree nor understand. Unfortunately part of that is my inability to get my thoughts across.
It takes a great florist to put together a bouquet for someone to admire. In the same way, our world leaders should be working to learn how to combine the different races in their countries for a beautiful bouquet. Not something to show off only when the world is looking, but to cultivate and grow together in our garden of togetherness.
We have learned how to adapt to different environments. We have cultivated plants to adapt as well. Diversity. It is good for our species. We are strong together. Some of us bloom at different times to keep the garden vibrant. Some are planted at different depths to inhabit the same space. All have similar needs such as nutrients, sun and water.
We have taken plants from their native locations and added them to our gardens. Our garden plots are beautiful for it. Lilacs for example are not native to the U.S.A., nor are peaches or tomatoes. We have climate zones that dictate what will survive and even then we have created greenhouses to extend our environment's tolerances. We work hard to keep our plants as diverse as we are.
in·teg·ri·ty /inˈteɡrədē/
noun 1. the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness. "he is known to be a man of integrity"synonyms: honesty, uprightness, probity, rectitude, honor, honorableness, upstandingness, good character, principle(s), ethics, morals, righteousness, morality, nobility, high-mindedness, right-mindedness, noble-mindedness, virtue, decency, fairness, scrupulousness, sincerity, truthfulness, trustworthiness "I never doubted his integrity" 2. the state of being whole and undivided. "upholding territorial integrity and national sovereignty"synonyms: unity, unification, wholeness, coherence, cohesion, undividedness, togetherness, solidarity, coalition "internal racial unrest threatened the integrity of the federation"
In my opinion, if a person's words and deeds match their stated integrity, morals and ethics then their garden is well tended. You say you like marigolds but yet won't plant them because the neighbors hate them, then agree with a gardener who says that marigolds should be planted with the roses in your garden. When your words and deeds do not match, you just planted a weed.
The balance of morals and ethics does not come from just your words, it also comes from the nutrients you use.
Underneath the soil, that small weed has grown big roots and is stealing nutrients from your integrity. By allowing the weeds to grow, your morals are crumbling and your ideals have been compromised. Soon your garden only has one or two types of flowers left.
A good example for me: Roses are not my favorite flower. My spouse likes roses. I do not cast them aside because I don't want to plant them. I appreciate and admire them. The only flowers or weeds I take out of my garden is the ones that have failed to meet my standards. I do my research and try to plant only those that will enhance my garden (integrity). I do not exclude plants that have integrity even when they are not my favorite. My garden is not perfect but I refuse to tolerate plants that do not play well with my other plants.
Something to think about when deciding on where to live, who to hang out with, who to love, or even who to vote for.
Who do you want in your garden?