Can't take a stand in the past? Try the present.
Have you ever watched a movie or read a book that dealt with racism or racist times? Whether the plot was opposed or in favor of racism, did you put yourself in the story and ask “what would I have done?”
Would you have helped light the cross burning in the yard of the first black family to move into an all-white suburb? Or, would you have had the courage to stand beside them and say “STOP! Leave these people in peace!” ? Most likely, from a statistical standpoint I guess, you would have just stood by like most “decent” people did. You might have leaned one way and said “Well, they had it coming for moving in to a neighborhood where they weren't wanted.” Or, you might have leaned the other way and said “It's terrible how they're being treated, but I don't dare get involved. I wouldn't want to be called a nigger-lover.”
I used to think, wouldn't it be cool if I could travel back in time and be the person who made the difference? The person who stood up and said, “NO, there isn't going to be a cross-burning tonight.” Or better yet, “NO, we shall not kill, cut that noose down.”
That's so easy, because of course there is no way you could go back in time to do it. But there ARE modern-day equivalents. I'm not just talking about cross-burnings or lynching. If you ever get the chance, I hope you'll speak out against those. I'm talking about one of the popular bigotry de jour's, homophobia.
Some day, if we're lucky, Americans will look back on our shameful past and remember when being homosexual was criminal. When you could be treated badly because of who you chose to love. But wouldn't it be cool to be the person who had the courage and humanity to stand up and say,
“C'mon guys, very funny, very funny, leave ____ alone s/he's cool. And you're nuts if you think s/he finds a fat troll like YOU attractive. Maybe you're the one who's gay?”
I guess I'm hoping that until I get my time-machine up and running that I'll be able to do for people NOW what I dream I WOULD have done for people back then. There's no time like the present!