TOLERANCE | DECEMBER 14, 2020

I’ll STAND Up for You

I have pledged allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands. And to me, this republic stands for you and your right to the life you choose, and your right to be free of fear, discrimination and hatred toward you for your beliefs or for who you are.

So, for these reasons, I’ll stand up for you.

I’ll stand up for you no matter your skin color. I’ll stand up for you whether you’re white, black, brown or tan. I’ll stand up for you no matter your faith—whether you’re a Muslim, Christian, Mormon or Jew—I’ll stand up for you. You might be a Baháʼí, Taoist, Buddhist or an atheist. If it’s important to you, then it’s important to me, too. So I’ll stand up for you.

Your political views make no difference, you see. They could be left, right or in between. Regardless of whether I agree, I’ll stand up for you. I don’t need to embrace them too, to stand up for your right to choose. What’s important to me is that you can be you, and so long as you are decent to others, I’ll be there for you. I’ll stand up for you.

If it’s important to you, then it’s important to me, too. So I’ll stand up for you.

I’ll stand up for truth and fairness and equal rights. I’ll stand up for your freedom of thought and expression. I’ll stand up for your right to use your own discretion. Because you’re worth it, and for me to stand up for you—well, to be truthful, that’s standing up for me, too.

Your Black, Mormon or Jewish neighbor is your brother. Stand up for him. He’ll stand up for you, too.

Martin Luther King Jr. told us, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

I take those words to heart. In this time, now, more than ever, we really must stand up together.

At our cores we all want freedom—freedom to be ourselves without harassment, embarrassment, fear or shame. Because I want that, too, and know you want the same, I’ll stand up for you.

That’s why I belong to Scientologists Taking Action Against Discrimination. And who does STAND stand up for?

We STAND up for all, and we’ll STAND up for you.

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