Hugh Jackman has donated two of his personal tickets to the premiere of his upcoming "LES MISERABLES" at the Ziegfield Theatre in New York City, and exclusive post-film party at the Museum of Modern Art, to support Everyone Matters. The Premiere is Monday, December 10, 2012. Each $25 donation you make to the tax-deductible non-profit Everyone Matters gives you one chance to win the two tickets to the gala evening. If you submit 10 donations of $25 - you get ten chances. AND WE REALLY NEED YOUR S[...]
A brilliant counter-strategy to the protest yesterday in Charlotte against the KKK and Neo-Nazis: Townsfolks and City Councilman wore clown costumes and red noses. "We stand in defense of white people all over the country," said a skinhead sporting a swastika. "We're dressed like clowns and you're the ones who look funny," said a protester. "We want to meet hate with love." PS: the clowns won! Join Everyone Matters. Watch the video, by clicking on the photo! [...]
United Parcel Service has taken a stand against gay discrimination - stopping its financial support of Boy Scouts of America - to which it has contributed $150,000 in the past. Bravo to UPS - And our partner GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) - for affirming that Everyone Matters. [...]
How about initiating or organizing an Everyone Matters event at your middle, high school or college? Next Monday, University of Nebraska at Lincoln holds their EVERYONE MATTERS Day. They'll be doing a twitterfall ... taking "I Am!" photos ... video recording station ... serving Qdoba restaurant burritos ... social justice displays. Says UNM's Greg Golden: "We are looking forward to 24 hours of judgement free living!" Send a message to University of Nebraska-Lincoln supporting their campus "Don't [...]
Daniel Craig is an Honorary Ambassador of Everyone Matters, the global campaign of inclusiveness and equality. Mr. Craig is a longtime humanitarian advocate, and wrote his personal statement as an expression of his own values: "Compassion and empathy are a measure of our humanity." Please join us in both congratulating Mr. Craig for his success with "Skyfall," and telling him how much you value his humanitarianism and his personal statement penned for Everyone Matters. We will forward your messages[...]
NFL Minnesota Vikings’ Star Player Chris Kluwe has joined Everyone Matters as an Honorary Ambassador He joins celebrity supporters Sir Paul McCartney, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Hugh Jackman, Ellen DeGeneres, Tom Brokaw, Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Natalie Portman, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Dame Judi Dench. Chris has also gained national recognition as a passionate and vocal advocate on behalf of same sex marriage - affirming that everyone should have equal rights. Along with the listed pub[...]
Scott Jackson - from Durham, in Northern England - was born with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a debilitating life-limiting form of the condition. The ever-feisty Scott is growing a moustache to raise funds for all forms of MD. Can he match Burt Reynolds?? He's gonna try! Here's the link [...]
“This is essentially a People’s contest. On the side of the Union, it is a struggle for maintaining in the world, that form, and substance of government, whose leading object is, to elevate the condition of men – to lift artificial weights from all shoulders - to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all - to afford all, an unfettered start, and a fair chance, in the race of life." Abraham Lincoln, 1861 [...]
In crisis, we feel everyone's suffering - human and animal. We offer six snapshots of neighbors, friends, the National Guard ensuring that animals are safe after the hurricane. 1. Little Ferry, NJ - A girl hugs her uncle, the local Deputy Fire Chief John Ruff, after she, her mother and two dogs are rescued from their flooded home in a boat. The mother, right, is carrying the pets in a laundry basket. 2. Little Ferry, NJ. People and pets picked up from flooded homes are transported in a large truck [...]
We're at #162 WAYS THAT WE GET JUDGED AND JUDGE OTHERS. C'mon, everyone - tell us more ways! Everyone Matters is banging the drums about JUST HOW MUCH JUDGING GOES ON. We ALL get typecast, stereotyped, judged – and we all judge - for things big and small. Let's slow it down - Dial Down the Judgments - try to be better. It starts with each of us. - Be aware how often we are judging. - Introduce the *gasp* radical idea that EVERYONE IS EQUAL TO US - and we all have the same right to taste, reli[...]
Today, students and teachers at Point Park U in Pittsburgh are having their "I AM!" pictures taken and pledging to try to be JUDGMENT-FREE FOR 24-HOURS, as part of Everyone Matters. Campuses across the country are encouraging their students to take pride in WHO THEY ARE - as well as letting OTHERS be who they are. Speaks well for our future, doesn't it? Give a shout out to the teachers and students at Pittsburgh's Point Park University by clicking on the photo. [...]
Leba says: REAL PRIDE is Standing up for my son. Ben says: REAL PRIDE is Being loved by my mom! Another mother and son! - Ben Shallenberger sent us the pic he took with his mother Leba at Houston Pride earlier this year, after seeing our post yesterday. Ben - one of the sweetest men on the planet - is Media Production Manager at the Human Rights Campaign, where he started as an intern after being a winner of our film competition a few years back). [...]
Post-hurricane, Hugh Jackman and David Steingard's Laughing Man Coffee is back up and running in NYC. Steingard says he's there all day today, and "probably a lot of the weekend" at the Battery Park location - 1 North End Ave. Go have a coffee, say hello to David - he's a great guy! And Hugh, as you know, is a supporter of Everyone Matters. [...]
How's this for a dynamic mother and son? On the street, with their placards: Son: "My mom said, If I want to marry a man, then she gains another son! What’s bad about this?" Mother: "I have a husband, why can’t my son? Who said we al l can’t love men? True love is more important than gender!" Check out LGBT Equality World-Wide. They have great posts - and believe in equality for all of us! [...]
Evelyn Gilbert is 10. She donated her hair for poor sick kids. Then she was bullied daily when she returned to school. "They called me a boy. They kicked me out of the girls' bathroom. It was sad." At the "character" assembly at Applecroft Public School in Ajax, a community near Toronto, Evelyn took to the stage to address the school. "My name is Evelyn, and I am not a boy. I am a girl who donated her hair for Angel Hair for Kids. Now a little girl wears my hair in a wig. That little girl was not[...]
Humanity is like a Giant Box of Chocolates filled with people of different flavors, colors and shapes - each with his or her own beauty and specialness. Enjoy the humanity.[...]
The feelings of every living creature matter. Every single human being. Every single animal. A movie glorifying bullfighting is a contender for nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. If the idea offends you, there's a petition The more you feel an animal's pain, the deeper your heart as a human being - and the better you treat your fellow man (and woman).[...]
When you are inclined to judge someone’s appearance …. STOP. That person is your equal. That person’s choices are as valid as yours. Try humility. Respect others’ right to their choices. We are all equal. Everyone Matters[...]
"Listen" When I ask you to listen to me and you start giving advice, you have not done what I asked. When I ask you to listen to me and you begin to tell me why I shouldn't feel that way, you are trampling on my feelings. When I ask you to listen to me and you feel you have to do something to solve my problems, you have failed me, strange as that might seem. Don’t try to convince me that I shouldn’t feel what I feel. Just listen. Try to understand. Try to feel what I feel. Just hold my[...]
At an anti-gay gathering in France last week, two girls displayed "the love that dares not speak its name" - and the reaction of the crowd sent the picture viral. Everyone has the right to be exactly who they are - without shame, apology or disrespect. Gay, straight, whoever. We're all equal. Everyone Matters. [...]
Graham Brown is in a wheelchair. He is a photographer who doesn’t let his disability stop his dream. "I take the photos to prove that people with a disability can do things but at their OWN pace.” Graham, 24, lives in Peterborough, England, between Nottingham and Cambridge. He has hearing on only one side and problems walking. His condition is called Learning Disability. “I really love photographing animals and flowers the most. I have been learning new things to do with the camera. It does take me[...]
There's a STORY behind every person. There's a reason why they are the way they are. Think about that before you JUDGE someone. Everyone Matters [...]
Everyone sees the majesty of the world in their own way. Some see the hand of God. Others see spiritual energy. Others see no god. There is no one way to believe. Everyone’s belief is to be honored. Everyone matters. [...]
We at Everyone Matters want to hug all of you for your strength, courage and humanity. We see glimpses in your words and comments of the strength and challenges you face that others don't see. And your determination to ADD LOVE TO THIS WORLD. Everyone Matters! [...]
Meet Cashel Gardner, who can’t move, breathe, eat or even talk on his own. He’s 15, and has Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). Facebook is his window to the world. With one finger, he wrote to Everyone Matters: “I was not supposed to live to be 2 years old. I know I can make a difference in the world and I am doing it all from my bed with the use of one finger. Everyone Matters!” Watch the powerful video. Click the picture below. Our eyes welled up with tears, as Cashel and his family are living exa[...]
The Special Olympics is a partner of Everyone Matters. Here is an open letter from Special Olympics athlete and global messenger John Franklin Stephens to Ann Coulter after her reference to “Retard” in the recent tweet during the Presidential debate. Dear Ann Coulter, Come on Ms. Coulter, you aren’t dumb and you aren’t shallow. So why are you continually using a word like the R-word as an insult? I’m a 30 year old man with Down syndrome who has struggled with the public’s perception that a[...]
We disapprove in the most vehement terms use of the word RETARD - at ANY time in ANY context for ANY reason. Ann Coulter used the term last night to slam the President of the United States during the debate, in a tweet - and her tweet was "favorited" by 1,283 people! Join us in denouncing the word RETARD as inappropriate, disrespectful and OFF-LIMITS always. Whatever your political persuasion. Everyone matters. Everyone's feelings matter. Everyone's dignity matters. [...]
The feelings of every living creature matter. Every single human being. Every single animal. Everyone Matters. Join us. [...]
We just hit 2 MILLION friends of fans! Our community believes that EVERYONE has the right to be who they are in our society - without being shamed, needing to apologize for who they are, or disrespected. If you agree - "LIKE" us on Facebook! We are MORE than our bodies. We are MORE than our CLOTHES. We are MORE than our cars or cellphones or sexual orientation or disability or age or ethnicity or religion. We are all individuals. Beneath our different exteriors, we all have the same dreams - t[...]
This picture spoke to us like no other, as we were looking for a photo of the bond between human and animal. This dying man's last wish was to see and hold his dog. He died a few days after this was taken, in a hospice. What more is there to say about the tender hearts that reside in all of us - human and animal - healthy or ailing, joyous or grieving, senior or child. Let us all never forget that beneath our very different exteriors, our hearts beat with the same dreams. [...]
The feelings of every living creature matter. Every single human being. Every single animal. [...]
At New Jersey's Playground Theatre Project (PTP) - kids themselves - from 8 to adult, but mostly teens - perform in issue-oriented short plays that tour local schools, youth groups, churches and elsewhere. Bullying is Topic-A -- so their current show is MINI-MISFITS. Everyone Matters applaud PTP for using kids to address other kids. Says PTP: "We believe that having kids perform for other kids at school assemblies, the message resonates more deeply." PTP is an outreach program of Actors Playgro[...]
In the world we live in, everyone is always trying to be a carbon copy of everyone else. People are afraid to stand out and be individuals. Unfortunately, or fortunately, in a world where Everyone Matters, and we can all be somebody, we are forced to decide, do we want to be Somebody who makes a difference, or someone who blends in with the crowd. It doesn't matter how you've been singled out, ostracized, or disrespected in the past...at William Woods, You Matter...Everyone Matters...and we're absol[...]
C'mon, everyone - tell us more ways! Everyone Matters is banging the drums about JUST HOW MUCH JUDGING GOES ON. We ALL get typecast, stereotyped, judged – and we all judge - for things big and small. Let's slow it down - Dial Down the Judgments - try to be better. It starts with each of us. Be aware how often we are judging. Introduce the *gasp* radical idea that EVERYONE IS EQUAL TO US - and we all have the same right to taste, religion, sexual orientation, our body shape, our ethni[...]
The malignancy of BULLYING is also a problem in the BUSINESS WORLD - and it's starting to come out of the closet. It's not just kids, teens, gays who get bullied. It doesn't just happen at school. Have you been bullied AT WORK - by a co-worker or boss? You have company. Groups are cropping up on Facebook - from England, Australia and the U.S. There's an official organization (U.S.) Links are below. There's a new petition circulating asking the Obama administration to put some regulatio[...]
Everyone Matters' bullying spokesperson, Donny Winter, of West Branch, Michigan, speaks out after another suicide this week of bullying victim Amanda Todd. As a bullying victim himself, Donny says that bullying should never be dismissed as a "rite of passage" for youth. Donny was on the news recently as a bullying victim who stood up for Whitney Kropp in his home town. He says impassioned - from experience: "That scar from bullying never goes away." Click the photo to watch the video. [...]
This 3 min touching ad from Expedia - showing the power of travel - also shows how AMERICA HAS GROWN in so many ways: American fathers and mothers can open their heart to their children being gay. Companies - such as Expedia - can honor and celebrate differences in a way unimaginable a generation ago. "Finding your understanding" is what Everyone Matters is about. Open Your Heart to Everyone's Differences. Watch the ad by clicking on photo, below. [...]
A Shout-out to Point Park University, in Pittsburgh, which will be holding their first EVERYONE MATTERS DAY on November 5. Students will be photographed with an “I Am!” statement, in a campaign that raises awareness of our judgments on people, and will take the 24-hour Challenge to Not Judge. (Thanks to Nathalie Burford in the Office of Campus Life for organizing!) (Other schools are organizing a “Letting Go of Judgment” Tree, a 24-hour challenge and Day of Kindness!) Let’s send Point Park U a no[...]
In 1953, the 45-year old actress Bette Davis was cast as matronly, "has-been" and "too old to play glamour girls." In 2012, the 45-year old Nicole Kidman plays a sexpot in her new movie. We've come a long way, baby! - at least on that front. None of us wants to be pigeon-holed or glass-ceiling-ed by our age (or body, skin color, sexual orientation, religion, etc.) [...]
“My husband battles daily with his demons of war.” Those are the wrenching words of the founder of Battling BARE a new organization to provide support, raise awareness and de-stigmatize Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for husbands and others who have come home from war with PTSD. Family members submit photos in which they give testimony by writing on their bodies, in support. Everyone Matters - we all carry our own stories, which must be honored. Here's the Facebook link. [...]
Bria was a finalist from "American Idol" in Savannah. This powerhouse original song from Bria and Chrissy - an anthem to those who are bullied to death - is riveting. “Why are you so mean? .... What a little sympathy could do” tells the story of a young teenager bullied to death. While the song is dedicated to their friend Greg -- who was only 15 - the song is dedicated to the many young souls lost to bullying. Click on their picture to hear the song. Their voices, passion and conviction will kno[...]
Here's Ellen, our Honorary Ambassador, with one of her famous quotes - in honor of October being Anti-bullying month: "I stand for honesty, equality, kindness, compassion, treating people the way you'd want to be treated and helping those in need. To me, those are traditional values. That's what I stand for..... I also believe in dance." Join Ellen - and all of us - and "like" Everyone Matters on Facebook! [...]
We all have to be OURSELVES. And we have to let others be who they are. It's the only way to live, happily. [...]
by Talisa Maxwell - It is never, at any time or juncture in life, acceptable to discriminate on the basis of pre-existing judgments, stereotypes, or misinformed and preconceived notions. Walk a mile in someone else's shoes before you try to judge their journey.[...]
This coming Saturday, September 29, Whitney Kropp is attending the Homecoming Dance at Ogemaw Heights High School - with Gown, Dinner, Hairdo, even Tiara - supplied by the town who has rallied together around the 16-year-old who was publicly humiliated at school. Whitney was thrilled when her name was announced over the school's loudspeaker as sophomore "rep" - an honor bestowed annually on its most popular boy and girl. But when classmates pointed to her and laughed in the hallway, Whitney was[...]
We are all in closets of different kinds – with things we don’t reveal for fear of rejection. John Leitham, the jazz virtuoso who has played with Mel Torme, Doc Severinsen and others – always felt he was meant to be a woman. The jazz world is like the sports world: rigid. But she needed to be WHO SHE WAS – and transitioned to Jennifer Leitham. The movie of her journey – "I Stand Corrected" - is playing the festival circuit, and winning awards. Here’s the trailer [...]
“We live in a small town in Central Illinois and woke one morning in April 2011 to find our home and cars had been spray painted,” says Anne Hollis. The family had been attacked because her two daughters have Down Syndrome: “RETARDS.” “Get Outta here.” And other unprintables. “That day changed my life forever.” But her two sons said they wanted to make a video, to “Speak up for our sisters.” Meet the Hollis Boys, age 6 and 7. Watch, share, join us - to create a world where EVERYONE is free [...]
A short eloquent poem by writer/poet Blu, an Everyone Matters community member, whose mantra is to "refuse to be silent any longer while thousands of voices go unheard. We must each take a stand for those who cannot stand up - I hope my poetry does just that!" INSIST UPON YOURSELF - ALWAYS BE WHO YOU ARE. Insist upon yourself Find the means to be you, nay demand it. And though you are changed from setting suns on the days before Stay upon the course and as the sun rises you are you all the mor[...]
- "I am Bisexual,” says 17-year-old Stacie from Kernville. “Ever since I told people I liked both girls and boys, I started losing my friends and I started being called other names. I've felt judged many times. I came out of the closet m y freshman year when I was 15, and I've been dealing with this for 2 years already. I want this to stop." Everyone Matters wants ALL judging by ALL OF US to EACH OTHER to stop. EVERYONE has the right to be EXACTLY who they are, without shame or apology. Whethe[...]
Everywhere, people are standing up to bullying. Here’s Sandy Gemmill, from Milton, Ontario, Canada, who sent us her “I Am!” photo, holding up a sign: “I Am a Mom who writes inspiring messages through music to make a positive difference for my children ... for all children.” Sandy just published her new anti-bullying story and song, “The Story of Nelson the Giant" - link here - about a misunderstood giant.[...]
His Holiness the Dalai Lama has joined the Everyone Matters global campaign as an Honorary Ambassador. The quote chosen by His Holiness the Dalai Lama for Everyone Matters says: “Only the development of compassion and understanding for others can bring us the tranquility and happiness we all seek.” Everyone Matters is a big-tent awareness and call-to-action campaign involving leading organizations and celebrities with a collective message to judge others less, see the huma nity in everyone, and emp[...]
By Wendy Dapper Ash - Sometimes in life we just have to put our foot down and take a stand. We as a society, worldwide society, place labels and restrictions on people with disabilities. This is so very sad especially when I see children with disabilities being placed into a certain category. Nothing is worse then seeing a child wanting to be a child but not being able to because they have a disability. WE ALL have disabilities, some may not be so obvious, none of us are perfect. We need[...]
Hugh Jackman is one of the global celebrities supporting of Everyone Matters. It’s nice to report that the humanity that emanates in his acting work is mirrored in his personal life. To that end, we want to introduce Hugh’s non-profit, Laughing Man Worldwide. When Hugh visited Ethiopia, he was inspired by a farmer, Dukale, whose hard work – supported by his community – made such a difference. After he came back, Hugh, together with Barry and David Steingard, launched Laughing Man Worldwide - with a [...]
This 6 minute film helped shape Everyone Matters. Click here. We were so moved by this 6 min video by Louis Schwartzberg, and his message to Open Your Heart, and feel grateful for this day, the beauty of this planet, the people we meet. We guarantee you will feel a bit more love in your heart, and love life a little more. If you are feeling depressed, or is finding it difficult to feel positive - which is all of us at some moments - this little movie will heal your heart just a little bit. We l[...]
Our world is truly like a giant box of chocolates - filled with people of so many different flavors, colors and shapes - each with his or her own beauty and specialness. We want to salute a group of people who have just launched The Little People of Pakistan. Their motto, they say, is “to educate children that there is nothing scary or funny about little people and they are as much human as any other person. It's ok to be different.” Here's the link to their Facebook page. In America, the Little [...]
Watch this 2 min video. Click here. The words are "spoken" by Henry, 13, who has autism, and uses a communication device to speak. He has multiple disabilities. Henry lives in Florida. He lives across the street from his public middle school -- but children with disabilities are assigned to separate schools. He says he and his family would like him to be given a chance to attend the school across the street with the kids in his neighborhood. His parents tell us they have offered to pay for an aide, [...]
Grace, from Oklahoma, took the plunge, and submitted her “I Am!” photo. “We decided to make "I Am!" shirts – preferably with something NEGATIVE we'd been called – to show that we are P ROUD of who we are DESPITE what other people think, and that we are above judgement and bullying. Grace and her friends did the t-shirts for World Suicide Prevention Day. “We wanted to do something with Everyone Matters, since bullying and suicide are so often linked. Our goal is to be accepting of people, differences a[...]
Charisse Hogan is 18, and born with Cerebral Palsy and Ataxia. She lives in Alabama. The 4 min video she sent to us expresses why we started Everyone Matters - you see it through the eyes of an 18 year old girl asking to be SEEN beneath the surface. “I share my disability with the world to show others that people with disabilities may be different on the outside but on the inside we're like everyone else! I'm just like any other teenage girl. Some of my favorite things to do is play with my dog, Bai[...]
Hugh Jackman has joined our Everyone Matters community! Hugh personally penned his meaningful quote - see photo - adding his support, alongside Sir Paul McCartney, Ellen DeGeneres, Nicole Kidman, Tom Brokaw, Daniel Craig, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Dame Judi Dench and Natalie Portman. And Hugh's non-profit joins the dozens of organizations, high schools and colleges adding their voice to our message to "judge others less, see the humanity in everyone, and emphasize that everyone has the right to b[...]
Teri Morris, of Wexford, Ireland, submitted her “I Am!” photo for the neglected Middle Class. She says, “Whenever you see an empty chair, remember, YOU matter.” (If you follow Everyone Matters, you already know we love posting your “I Am!” photos - holding a sign, wearing a t, marking your hand - or otherwise affirming who you are. But: we couldn’t resist this!) Here's how to submit YOUR photo. [...]
Here’s a 2 min video about how Amy makes peace with it, and herself, from Smart Girls. We are all different, says Amy. We agree. [...]
"Our Shared Humanity" - Looking back at 9/11 "11 years ago today, New Yorkers witnessed the greatest attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor," writes Everyone Matters' Advisory Board member Conn Fishburn. "The thing I will always remember is not the attack itself, but rather how New Yorkers and Americans came together to help and reassure each other in the immediate aftermath. "It's that feeling of oneness and shared humanity, of helping anyone who needs it, of selfless acts of heroism large an[...]
Give us your opinion, after reading this. You’ve undoubtedly read the story. NFL player Chris Kluwe joined his teammate Brendon Ayanbadejo in speaking out for gay marriage, by writing an articulate and impassioned - and vitriolic – letter to Maryland Delegate Emmett C. Burns Jr., slamming him for leaning on the team owner to muzzle the players. Kluwe’s scorched-earth letter has been an internet sensation because of the colorful obscenities and name-calling, including “mindf**ngly obscenely hypocrit[...]
We are celebrating our Honorary Ambassador Ellen DeGeneres - whose 10th season of "The Ellen Show" begins today!! We've assembled some of the wonderful things Ellen has said over the years about being true to yourself - bringing light to all our lives with her courage, wit, wisdom, intelligence, candor. Below is one of them. The rest can be viewed here. And we love the essential credo - Believe in Yourself" - that she wrote as her Everyone Matters slogan. Enjoy. Share. And join our growing fa[...]
How’s this for EVERYONE mattering? Melanie Cannon and Eddie Hanna of Port Orange, Florida had saved up for a big wedding, which was her lifelong dream - to walk down the aisle in a white gown. They had adopted a dog in April from the Humane Society. When they recently took Koda to the vet, they were told the young pup had the worst case of liver shunt the vet had ever seen and would need lifelong medication. Melanie and Eddie immediately decided to postpone their wedding – and used their savings to sav[...]
This happened on Tuesday. American wouldn't let them on the plane. United let them board, but they had to sit at the BACK OF THE PLANE -- with nobody ON OTHER SIDE OF THEM. "Everyone one of us should be treated with equal dignity," says the indignant father. Watch the newscast. Hurray for our partner AAPD - who fights for the rights of the disabled. [...]
It is a celebration for all of us when those who are disabled can join us in engaging more fully with the majesty of nature and its seasons, and the world around us. WheelForces is a new FB page that encourages those who have a disability and use a wheelchair to live an empowered life! (Ignore their misleading profile photo – the camouflage-covered chair with faux-gun armrest!). WheelForces features uplifiting posts about living life fully in a wheelchair, covering the Paralympics, empowering events[...]
"We care for the 100%!" When Nun Sister Simone Campbell said those words at the Democratic National Convention, she had the audience on its feet. She was also echoing the words of Everyone Matters. Sister Campbell and the Nuns are non-partisan. So is Everyone Matters. She wasn’t endorsing Democrats or Republicans. She is advocating for EVERYONE - Everyone's right to be cared about, respected, seen, listened to, VALUED. Right on, Sister! Glad you are partners with us. Everyone Matters! [...]
We love the Nuns of NETWORK, the National Catholic Social Justice Lobby – one of our partners in Everyone Matters. And three cheers to SISTER SIMONE CAMPBELL, who speaks out for all of us - women and men, rich and poor, straight and gay, able and disabled - to be treated with love, compassion and dignity, in our society! “We act for justice and peace,” says the Sister. “We invite the participation of people from ALL sectors of our society, and place the needs and voices of people living in poverty a[...]
Thank you to the staff at Oregon State University’s Office of Equity and Inclusion, which sent us their Shout-out. What a treat to receive their picture. They’ve organized Everyone Matters on campus! “Everyone Matters highlights the inherent dignity of individuals,” they wrote us. “Our work is guided by the principles of equity, inclusion, and diversity and we believe the national Everyone Matters campaign and our local Everyone Matters at OSU campaign exemplify these." To start a local chapter, cli[...]
Did you know that we’re proud partners with the American College Personnel Association? The ACPA, headquartered in Washington, D.C. at the National Center for Higher Education, works on all our behalf to achieve excellence in college student learning. They have nearly 7,500 members representing 1,200 private and public institutions from across the U.S. and around the world. Members include graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in student affairs/higher education administration programs; facul[...]
Come join the conversation on our Facebook social media hub! Share your thoughts, upload photos, comment on the group conversation - and of course, "like" us! [...]
Two wonderful works from Images for a Lifetime ... LIKE US on Facebook! You can find out more about Images For a Lifetime here. [...]
Here's a wonderful anti-bully music video - HEY BULLY ! It's written by Grammy winner Jim Peterik (Eye of the Tiger, The Search is Over, Vehicle) for Ariel, Zoey and Eli (of the television show "Ariel & Zoey & Eli, Too"). Great words, good visuals, catchy tune. Really gets the message across. Share it! Thanks for flagging this, Matt Engelbert! (FYI - we don't approve of calling anyone a LOSER, but the pro's outweighed the cons - let us know your thoughts!) [...]
We all look different ... but our hearts beat with the same dreams. Wishing you love in your heart, and in your life, this holiday weekend. [...]
"My son is SENSITIVE. I LOVE that about him," says Valerie from Whittier, California, who posted a comment on our Facebook page. "People think I should toughen him up," she laments. Valerie wants to affirm her son's right to be sensitive - and who he is. She submitted her "I Am!" photo, with her son Daniel, who just turned 4. Daniel loves everything Batman, and Valerie saved up for a Batman-themed party in the park. Sensitivity is a gift from the universe. It makes it harder to navigate this often[...]
Hold a sign, a piece of paper, a t-shirt, saying something like "I Am (fill this part in)" or "I Matter!" Click here to begin. Or email photo and short statement who you are and why you took the photo to: [email protected][...]
How's this for a father taking a stand for his son? A German father wore women's clothing in show of solidarity with his cross-dressing five-year-old son. Click on picture for story. [...]
We're going to pre-announce this to you first - our fans and supporters ! The amazing and legendary news anchor, documentarian and author Tom Brokaw has joined Everyone Matters, and issued the following quote: "To live on this ever smaller, more crowded planet ... We need to seek the higher ground of tolerance and respect." Please SHARE Tom's important message - and invite them to "like" Everyone Matters on our Facebook social hub. Our EM family continues to grow![...]
Contact us about organizing EVERYONE MATTERS at your school. (fyi- we're also working with businesses). It's easy - whether you're a student, teacher or parent! You can initiate our LETTING GO OF JUDGMENT TREE .... 24 HOUR CHALLENGE ... or AMERICAN FOUNDING IDEALS competition. Check out an example on Facebook. Here's how to do it. [...]
Blogs,From The Editors,How I See it - Body Image
August 28th, 2012 By heathcliffTerri Herlihy was repeatedly humiliated for her size on national tv last week- the designer even held up several belts to her waist, and announced that there were no belts big enough. This was on Project Runway, where she agreed to be on a makeover segment - so she didn’t expect to be humiliated repeatedly on-camera by the designer, then have the show feature off-camera segments which added to her humiliation, showing the designer say to the world at large that she “really doesn’t have a shape,” “doesn[...]
Blogs,From The Editors,How I See It - Disabilities
August 27th, 2012 By heathcliffWe are in love with 6-year old Grace Caldarone. Look at that radiant face, which shines with goodness, and strength. Grace has CMT, a hereditary neuropathic disease that 2.6 million people live with, but few people have ever heard of. Grace inherited Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) from her mother Marybeth Sidoti Caldarone, seated in the wheelchair behind Grace in the photo.Marybeth says of her daughter, “She faces each day with optimism, courage and humor.” Judging by Marybeth’s warmth and beauty, we[...]
We are all born into this world open, loving and trusting - tender and sensitive beings. We aren’t expecting the conditionality to who we are at every turn, that requires us to grow extra layers of skin, and then in our pain inflict the conditionality on others. It starts with EACH of us - to be more unconditional and accepting to our family, our friends, those we work with, those we meet in passing - and to ourselves. Please share and invite others to "like" Everyone Matters on Facebook, and join [...]
Every year, Jacksonville, Florida hosts a SENIOR PROM! This is the 30th year! Here are some pictures of the LADIES from Presbyterian Apartments getting ready to be transported by LIMO to the Prom - where MAYOR Alvin Brown will crown the SENIOR PROM QUEEN AND KING. How wonderful is this? This is how we want life to be - honoring everyone for who they are! Share this - and "like" Everyone Matters on Facebook, and join the conversation![...]
"More important than BEING LOVED is to LOVE." The first time I heard that line was in "Marvin's Room," when Meryl Streep is consoling Diane Keaton, who is terminally ill, and tells her how full her life is, and how much she is loved. And Keaton says back to Streep (paraphrasing): "No, it's not that I am loved, but I have LOVED." I had to think about that for awhile, until I understood it. I saw the quote again yesterday by the Dalai Lama. It's so simple in its profundity. Everything in our cultur[...]
You will want a “Letting Go of Judgment” Tree in a high school and college near you, when you watch the video. It’s 2-minute local newscast of University of Maine’s Tree, created by students as an Everyone Matters project. The tree - so easy to do, yet so powerful - was transformative for everyone who saw it. Kids (anonymously) write a name they’ve been called - or called someone else - whether it’s FAT or UGLY or DUMB or GAY or BITCH - on paper leaves, which are then collected, and pinned to a 9 fo[...]
We announce with great pride that the UN WOMEN - National Committee United States has joined the Everyone Matters campaign. Shortly, Everyone Matters and UN WOMEN United States will be announcing a new Youth Short Film Competition themed to Women's Empowerment: "All Women are Created Equal" [...]
Announcing our latest campus chapter: EVERYONE MATTERS at Oregon State University! A shout-out to students & faculty at OSU! http://www.facebook.com/EveryoneMattersAtOsu Let us know if you want to launch EVERYONE MATTERS at your school - the "24 Hour Challenge," the "Letting Go of Judgement Tree" and "American Founding Ideals." And you can create a Facebook page, like OSU! Check out "Join Our Team" in the menu, or email us as [email protected] [...]
Blogs,How I See It - Parenting
August 21st, 2012 By eflorarossBy Elizabeth Flora Ross - I can be extremely passionate about issues - just ask my friends. I am also quite opinionated - just ask my husband. I believe you can be passionate and have strong opinions AND be respectful of others. That's why I created The Mom Pledge, which advocates healthy dialogue on key parenting issues. The Mom Pledge asserts we can and should share and learn from each other. But it often seems people have lost sight of what it truly means to "debate" a topic. Here's a defi[...]
“How Do I Judge You? Let Me Count the Ways! We’re starting a list. We want you to add to it. It’s a group project. We’ve begun the ball rolling, below. Add to the list, in the comment section. Share it with others to add to. We humans - god love us - we need to judge others, to give each other demerit points. It makes us feel better, helps the illusion that we’re better than the other person. If I demote YOU, then I’M higher, classier, cooler, better, bigger. Look at her, she’s fat, but I’M thin.[...]
Thank you TO ALL OF US - we just reached 3000 on Facebook ! Our Facebook community has grown from 1,000 in just a week! NEXT GOAL: 4,000! Please forward this to all your friends, post a status update on your Facebook, and invite your friends and family to "LIKE" us, share their comments on our page, blog with us, upload their "I Am!" photos, sign up for the 24-Hour Challenge, Organize a "Letting Go of Judgment" Tree. This is thanks to US - all of us who believe that everyone has the right to be exac[...]
CAN YOU GO AN ENTIRE 24 HOURS WITHOUT JUDGING ANYONE – or calling anyone a name - not even while DRIVING?? That means - *gasp* - that you can’t criticize someone’s clothes, hair, weight, driving, how they talk, what cellphone they use, sexual orientation, religion, whether their underwear is how, yada yada. NADA! You have to live for 24 hours like everyone’s else’s choices - and who they are - are as valid as you and yours! Can YOU do it? Join thousands of us - individually, and in schools and b[...]
Blogs,How I See It - Compassion
August 18th, 2012 By CreativityawakenedBy Melissa Joyfully - Have you ever felt as if you weren’t perfect? Maybe you could lose a few pounds, improve your health & fitness; do more to become happy & fulfilled; learn a new skill or have more patience. I know that I’ve felt all those things. Also, I want to heal the world. What is healing? To heal is to make whole. Healing is to restore to original purity. So how does one go about healing the world? Well, let’s take a look at when one feels like a fat, depressed, stupid or ang[...]
Blogs,From The Editors,How I See It - Age
August 18th, 2012 By adminSomething happens - to US! - when people get over 70 or 75 ( fill in the age here). We see them as a separate category - as an “old person.” We STOP SEEING them - or we have to concentrate to look past “old person” to really SEE them. My exercise in the last several years is looking at an older people - and reminding myself, “He was 20 once, she was 30 once.” I try to IMAGINE the 30 year old - the one who went dancing, who was silly or rebellious, threw hoops in high school, couldn’t wait to [...]
Let's celebrate beauty at EVERY age! Carmen Dell'Orefice is a Supermodel - she's 81! - and she's been modeling for 65 years! What a joy when our society can be open to beauty at all ages! The collage below features Carmen modelling for Vogue, Harpers Bazaar and others in the 1940's, 1950's and 1960s - and today! Isn't she an inspiration? And share Everyone Matters with your friends! And visit us on Facebook! [...]
Blogs,From The Editors,How I See it - Body Image
August 18th, 2012 By EditorEarlier this week, we posted Mary Faith's group photo, "I Am Beautiful." Today, high school student Mary Anne Marcondes sent us HER photos of another group of girls, above. Mary Anne is 16 - and took the photos in APRIL for a New York City Art Competition! "Even the most perfect, pretty girls that look fine on the outside are actually hurt on the inside from all the negative things that are said," says Mary Anne. Let's all acknowledge Mary Anne Marcondes, for her inspirational photo! [...]
Blogs,From The Editors,How I See It - Disabilities
August 17th, 2012 By EditorLuca "Lazylegz" Patuelli wows the crowd with his Hip-Hop break-dancing - with his CRUTCHES! Click here to watch Luca in action! Luca has had 16 SURGERIES since being born with arthrogryposis - very little muscles in his legs. He is one of Everyone Matters’ Ambassadors. “I realized I’m only disabled if I ALLOW myself to think that I'm disabled,” says Luca, whose words inspire us at Everyone Matters. “Don't look at my crutches as a crutch - look at it as a NEW STYLE OF DANCING SHOES!” You inspi[...]
"I Am!" Photo of the Day - #2 Here's Molly Drake - taking pride in WHO SHE IS. "I am a teen, I am nerdy, I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan - and I am a Mormon. It doesn't mean I'm stupid, it doesn't mean I'm a hooligan, it doesn't mean I don't have a life, and never assume that I have 10 moms!" Show us who YOU are - hold up a sign, wear a t-shirt, decorate a cake - with an "I Am!" about where you live, or your hobby, your body image, geekiness, gender, sexual orientation, whatever! Upload your "I[...]
Blogs,From The Editors,How I See it - Body Image
August 17th, 2012 By EditorStephanie Pellegrine proudly sent us this picture of her brother Jim surfing in Bali. “I can't tell you how many times he has been BULLIED ABOUT HIS WEIGHT and yet I doubt any of those haters can do THIS on a surfboard.” Nobody deserves to be bullied for who they are, or how they look. Like we say: Everyone Matters! Join us! Sign up here! [...]
Blogs,From The Editors,How I See it - Body Image
August 17th, 2012 By EditorWomen still wear a BULLS-EYE in our society. Women get called NAMES all the time. You can be cashier at the local supermarket - or Hillary Clinton on Capitol Hill – you’re STILL fair game for the demeaning slur using your clothes, your hair, your body, your voice, your femininity. If you’re not interested = stuck-up bitch If you’re friendly or uninhibited = a slut If you wear pants or tailored clothes = butch, a man, lesbian If you’re full-bodied = fatA woman has the right to be EXACTLY w[...]
Ellen DeGeneres - one of our fabulous Honorary Ambassadors - posted a Shout-Out to Everyone Matters on her Facebook page! Flagging Everyone Matters to her fans - which is all of us - she quoted our motto: "Everyone has the right to be exactly who they are." Join us - and share with your friends. Visit us on Facebook. Everyone Matters is about Owning who you are, WITH PRIDE - and giving OTHERS the same privelege![...]
Sir Paul McCartney, Ellen Degeneres, Nicole Kidman, Natalie Portman, Daniel Craig Among Global Figures Joining New “Big-Tent” Global Tolerance Campaign “Everyone Matters” Because “Everyone Stands Outside Everyone Else’s Lives, Passing Judgment” MCCARTNEY OFFERS WINGS’ LYRIC “LIVE AND LET LIVE" KING FAMILY OFFERS MARTIN LUTHER KING'S “I HAVE A DREAM” ELLEN DeGENERES: “BELIEVE IN YOURSELF” KIDMAN: “I WANT MY BABY TO GROW UP IN A WORLD WHERE EVERYONE IS TREATED EQUALLY” JAMES BOND’S DANIEL CRAIG: “COM[...]
We've hit our 1000th "like" !! Who better - than beautiful "Plus model" Keri Atkins, from Portland, Oregon - who makes a proud statement on behalf of women of all sizes! Keri "loves being on set, having fun with the whole crew and making everyone feel beautiful, inside and out. This passion and love for fun shines through Keri Atkins's work." A Shout-out to Keri! EVERYONE - PLEASE SHARE THIS with your Facebook friends! Next goal: 2000 likes on our Facebook wall for EVERYONE MATTERS .... [...]
We ALL get judged for what we're wearing .... whether our cellphone is good enough .... car is expensive enough ... clothes are hip enough .... what we’re eating .... where we're eating ... how we're eating ... if we're overweight ... if we don’t earn enough .... if we don’t use the right words - let alone skin color, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity. When you add up EVERYONE who has experienced another person who thinks they KNOW better - or thinks they ARE better, it's ... 100% – All of us.[...]
Facebook introduced Everyone Matters to the community of 1 million followers of its Stop Bullying: Take Action page today! Here's a screenshot of the Stop Bullying homepage - and of course our eye gravitates to the announcement of Everyone Matters, with a Q&A with founder HeathCliff Rothman! And here's the Q&A screenshot and link of the page, and transcript below. Q&A with HeathCliff Rothman, founder of Everyone Matters When it comes to bullying prevention, education is [...]
How I See It - Contributing Editor
August 8th, 2012 By CourtneyBy Courtney Cray - Why am I an intern for Everyone Matters? Because the small shoves towards less judgment are as important as the big jumps. We have celebrity ambassadors and we have everyday people. Look at me -- I’m a woman from Maine, and not even from where we boast an abundance of lobsters. Where I am, there is an abundance of TREES and a lack of population). I’m trying, one small step at a time, to try to change the lives of others. I am at the University of Maine, getting an educati[...]
By HeathCliff Rothman Quick: What do you see? Be honest: you see what we all see: The Turban. You have to push yourself to see beyond the turban -- to register his eyes, his intelligence or sensitivity - to the ways in which he's relatable. People were murdered this week simply because they wore turbans. Look at the woman in the turban. What do you see? Just a woman. A beautiful woman. No subtext. The turban is just cloth. A piece of fabric. One is a "menace," the other [...]
By Steve M. - Here's a quick glimpse into my past that made me who I am now - and believe it or not because of what I experienced - someone who tries his absolute best not to judge others for any reason. This starts back in Middle School grades 5-8 then continues into High School grades 9-12. I was a kid who had quite a bit "wrong" with him, according to others. I was overweight, had a curved spine, chronic migraines, and scars head to toe - all complemented with a less than friendly attitu[...]
By Jose Covarrubias - Waiting tables exposes you to endless social situations. After doing it for over 7 years, I have learned the importance of never judging or assuming anything about anyone… If I could take anything from this life, it would be the interaction I shared with a table today. It was a Friday morning at the Abbey, nothing grand, no big weekend or holiday in front of us, but great weather, and a great mood in my heart… Three servers were scheduled. Two of my favorites: Matt and K[...]
By Alison Mueller - You’ve seen me – or someone like me - at the grocery store: a baby in a carrier, a toddler in the cart, and several children trailing on the sides and behind. Did you count how many kids I have? Did you think nasty thoughts? Did you comment? I am a mother of six, and often judged for my family size. Here a few common assumptions placed upon me by strangers over the years: welfare mom irresponsible in family planning uneducated religious fanatic. Often the co[...]
How I See It - Freedom of Speech
July 31st, 2012 By DrewBy Drew Walker - It's too bad that my first blog has to be on such a controversial subject, but I do think it's pretty important right now in the U.S., especially since tomorrow is Wednesday. As you are probably aware, some days ago, Dan Cathy (CEO of Chick-fil-A), stated that he believes marriage should be between one man and one woman. And of course, he was immediately judged, put down by his peers (you and I). I've watched this play out in the news in horror as one man's personal beliefs are[...]
Drew Walker sent us our first official "I Am!" photograph of himself - holding up a sign proclaiming, "I'm a Hippie." How cool is that, for a 16 year old - savvy, smart, hip, introspective, gutsy, funny, wise! (How does he even know what a hippie is??) The high school student from Oxford, Mississippi also sent a second "pride-in-identity" photo, continuing his retro-'60s sensibilities, announcing, "I'm For Peace." And if we didn't get the message, his arm tattoo was front and center, on his ar[...]
Is empathy a woman's trait? That's the question for our growing Everyone Matters community. Facebook "LIKES" for Everyone Matters is running exactly DOUBLE for women than for men. Take a look at the accompanying chart - click on it if you want to see it larger. At EVERY age group the percentages are virtually double for women than men. Why is that? Do women care more about suffering and inequity? Do women relate more to how it feels to be judged unfairly based solely on appearances?[...]
By Jake B. - In 7th grade, it was hard. Because everyone was so judgmental. I had too long hair for them, or I was too lazy for my family. I was a dork 'cause I liked comics, or stupid because my grades weren't high, and I didn't have a 4.0 GPA, or even too fat for their standards. It hurt. After so much insults and judgments, it caused a long period of my life. My depression. My sister was one of the worst things about it. She constantly called me fat, ugly, stupid, dumb. I can't tell you[...]
By HeathCliff Rothman There he was, center stage to a global audience - parachuting into the London Olympics with Queen Elizabeth, in a giddy witty sketch before an audience of billions. For Craig and 007 fans, it was catnip - the star cemented into iconic status as global star. Craig - like actors in the golden age of Hollywood - is locked in the public’s mind in a film persona as the cool, imperturbable agent (and sex symbol). Less well-known is that Craig has been involved with a dozen [...]
- My name is Hannah. I’m in high school. I’ve always been the silent one. I was considered weird. When a group of people were around, I got laughed at for the drawings I made. I had a small interest at the time in Manga/Anime drawing. What was worse, my “friends” were sometimes a part of the groups putting me down and making me feel worthless. In seventh grade I figured out who I wanted to be. But people didn’t like it. So I made a promise to myself that I would never act as myself. I conformed[...]
It’s a fascinating story - how after a long day of posing for shots for Harper’s Bazaar Australia, the shot of Nicole that the magazine ended up using for the cover - and eventually for the Everyone Matters campaign - was an impromptu moment, with her children, taken spontaneously. Bazaar's photo shoot took place a few hours out of Sydney in a country home with a wonderful red dirt road - a setting carefully chosen by talented young Australian photographer Will Davidson. Nicole arrived on time, and[...]
By HeathCliff Rothman - President of Everyone Matters - - What percentage of people do you think experience being judged for how they look, or what group they belong to? 30% ? 40% ? We think it’s 100%. We think Everyone Gets Judged. (And we think that Everyone Judges). We started this campaign because there’s so much judging going on, that we stop seeing it. Our knee-jerk reaction is to think in terms of those who experience the most visible – and severe – dissing, marginalization,[...]
By Dolly - Years ago I went with my grandmother to the market. She haggled for twenty minutes, and I was convinced that was the last time someone will see me in public with that woman. My grand is a strong woman with a harsh character. The kind who makes hand-made couscous and refuses to pay for stuff she can do herself. She had taken a bag with a hole and a bunch of old clothes to the market, that she swapped for a handmade stone statuette with a man she had no common language with. I got[...]
By Cooper Smith-Koch - In June, our family had the unique experience of being at the center of a media firestorm - specifically, my partner Todd and I, along with our two children, were featured in the Father's Day catalog for JCPenney. From the moment that the catalog came out until just a few days ago, we were receiving media requests from all over the globe to ask about the experience, how we were recruited for their catalog, etc. Additionally, we received hundreds of emails, Facebook posts, l[...]
Sir Paul McCartney has joined the new Global Tolerance "Don't Judge" campaign - adding his voice and Tolerance quote to Nicole Kidman, Ellen DeGeneres, Daniel Craig, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Natalie Portman and Dame Judi Dench. The legendary former Beatle has chosen a phrase of tolerance – “Live and Let Live” - from the opening chorus of his 1973 Wings’ song – written with his late wife Linda McCartney – which summarizes the both global – and personal - message of the Everyone Matters campaign. Glob[...]
How I See It - Old and New Technology
July 18th, 2012 By Gil YehudaBy Gil Yehuda - Contributing Editor - People have an uncanny ability to create "us" vs. "them" categories. If I tell you I'm human, then you might say we have much in common. But the more I tell you about me, the faster you'll find a difference. I was born on Earth. You, too? Sure. In the US. You, too? Possibly. In Cleveland, OH? Probably not. I'm male, white, Jewish, in my 40s. You might not be. The more I say, the more we'll find a difference. And once we do, we can[...]
Blogs,How I See It - Contributing Editor
July 17th, 2012 By jake.weingartenBy Jake Weingarten - Few people understand what it’s like to shop at the Big and Tall, and even fewer can envision what that’s like for a teenager. Options were minimal – so the Big and Tall was my go-to place where I could shop how most others did. At sixteen years old, I wore a size 42. At 18, a size 46. And at 21, I’d ballooned incredulously to a size 50. You can imagine that this made me feel very attractive – not! – explaining to friends where my fabulous new plaid button down and slacks we[...]
By Benjamin Snow - My mother and I went to the library one time. While we were looking through the bookshelves, a young boy told my mom that he felt sorry for me because I couldn't walk. I explained to the boy that my power wheelchair served the same purpose as walking, just differently. He and I talked it over and agreed that the rubber tires on my wheelchair helped me get around the same way that the rubber soles on his shoes helped him get around. I once saw a man at a shopping mal[...]
by John McHale - I am grateful my Irish ancestors were not detained on suspicion of not being a documented resident. People who are, could be, maybe be, undocumented residents matter as much as everyone! If a person is treated differently based on their skin color or their language, it is unethical and illegal. Possible suspicion of a possible detainer as reason for seizure is illegal under the fourth amendment of the U.S. constitution. Detainment for suspicion of a detainer witho[...]
By Luca “Lazylegz” Patuelli - I am writing this after a couple travel experiences I’ve had recently. The other day after flying into Paris there was a long line at customs, but as a person with an “ill-Ability” I get to go in the employee line straight to the front. Before I went to the customs agent I was trying to be polite and let two people in front of me. An agent who saw my action told me that I can’t let myself get defeated. He misinterpreted my action. I guess he may have seen a sh[...]
By Aubrey Ellen Shomo - I am a noncompliant mental patient. I have been for years. Look into my eyes and see me. Try to understand where I'm coming from. I am someone's sibling, someone's child, and someone's friend. I could be yours. I've been told more times than I can count that I won't make it without medication. I've been told that I have a chemical imbalance. My brain's broken. I need it. If I refuse, it's the side effects – or, worse, my illness talking. But, let me ask yo[...]
