By Hetal Patel, Guest Column

In my humanities English class, we talked about the question: &8220;Is there a right and wrong?&8221;

&8220;I think there is an absolute right and wrong and that an outside source, God, determines this.&8221;

&8220;I think right and wrong is by what you feel. When you feel bad after doing something, it&8217;s wrong.&8221;

&8220;Why does right and wrong matter in the long run? We all end up as nothing anyway.&8221;

Three quite different views, but also three common ones, when we look at them we pick and agree or disagree with the views.

We did not respond in a rude and close-minded manner toward each other. I think it is because we have all known each other since we were 13 and some longer. Growing up together gives us a certain respect for each other. People in my class may not agree with each other, but they continue to be classmates and friends, love and care regardless of opinions.

It&8217;s been a long journey from ninth grade, where we would get on each other&8217;s case about these things, but we have grown and changed and gotten fond of each other. When we first didn&8217;t know each other, we didn&8217;t have the respect and tolerance toward each other. The opposite of love and gentleness happens when we get angry and don&8217;t think of all people as human.

When a waitress gets an order wrong and the customer gets frustrated and says, &8220;Hey, it&8217;s not that difficult! Can&8217;t you just get the order right?&8221; would the customer still say hurtful things to her in anger if the waitress was his best friend&8217;s daughter? Our rationality tends to reason with our true feelings. Who cares if the waitress feels bad? It&8217;s her job, isn&8217;t it?

It happens when we change schools and tend to be friends with people who have the same views instead of also being accepting and loving people with different views and friends anyway.

We are led to believe we don&8217;t have any connection with some groups of people, because they are in a different clique, they work under you, or even you just don&8217;t know them. We are people and that is a connecting point. We tend to keep our friends and family human, but dehumanize people who are different and those we don&8217;t know.

In Paths to Peace, we have a variety of faiths and beliefs, clergy, atheists, agnostics, Buddhists, Christians and each one of us is still bonded together by the belief that regardless of our beliefs we are still human.

I find my peace through the knowledge of God and Jesus, my Lord. I don&8217;t have a problem with the Dalai Lama or Gandhi, or people who find peace in those traditions. I believe that peace starts with a peaceful heart and that actions will reflect the heart.

I also believe peace in your heart starts with loving others as yourself. Loving others enough to respect their views and have respectful dialogue. Respect and loving those not only who we have grown up with, classmates, and family but also those who we don&8217;t know personally.

&8220;The entire law is summed up in a single command: &8220;Love your neighbor as yourself.&8221;

&8212; Galatians 5:14

Hetal Patel is a senior at Albert Lea High School. She is a member of Paths to Peace.