At the very least, visit another state—preferably one that is two or three-day drive from where you were born or raised. You will be amazed at the vastness of our country, at how different the scenery, at how welcoming people can be.

   Travel beyond our country’s border if you can. This should open your mind, for it will allow you to see for yourself how the rest of the world lives. You will probably be surprised to learn that even though they might speak another language, the “foreign” people you meet look basically just like you. Their skin color might be different, but— and isn’t it amazing? —they have a set of arms, a set of legs, a head above their shoulders, and— OMG… —they walk erect.

   Once you meet other people; once you see how some of them live, and how some of them struggle because they were born “in the wrong hemisphere”; then, you will understand that they are human beings like you and I; you will understand that they have similar needs, similar fears, and similar aspirations.