My Philosophy (by Stefano Spadoni)

I was born an Italian, but it could have happened to me had I been born Chinese, an Afghan, a Russian, a Palestinian, an American, a Congolese, an Iraqi, or an Argentinean.

I was born a Caucasian, but it could have happened to me had I been born Asian, Polynesian, African American, Hispanic or someone of mixed ethnicities.

When I was a child I was baptized a Catholic, but it could have happened to me had I been born and raised as a Buddhist, Muslim, Jew, Evangelic, Shintoist or Animist.

I was born a straight male, but it could have happened to me had I been born a woman, a homosexual, an hermaphrodite or an eunuch.

I was born with two legs and two arms, but it could have happened to me had I been born without one or all of my limbs. I can walk and run but I could have been destined to a wheelchair as well.

I was born with good sight, but it could have happened to me had I been born blind. I can hear, but I could have been deaf.

I did not choose anything that which I was born with, so I have no merits or shame for it, this goes for every other human being.

Indeed, as for every other human being, I have the power to make choices and the right to judge if what was taught to me is right. As a consequence, I have the right to refute anything taught to me, if deemed incongruous to who I am and how I feel.

Indeed, I feel proud to belong to a any nation in the world where you can vote freely, and where you are not incarcerated because of your opinions.

I feel proud to belong to the race who fights for justice, whatever the color of his/her skin.

And I deeply respect every religion which is respectful of others, because it could have happened to be my religion.
And I deeply respect any form of sexuality which is respectful of others, because it could have happened to be my sexuality.
And if my birth brother became a criminal, he would no longer be my brother. The police officer chasing him would become my brother, because capturing a criminal makes this world a better one.

That's why I think that racism is the greatest aberration, I look with sadness at people who tell they are proud of the heritage with which they were born into and the character traits that come along with that particular heritage. However, I think you can be proud just about something you chose and/or something for which you worked for.

So I look with suspicion at whoever feels closer to other people who share the same characteristics or heritage from birth or for those who feel an inherent obligation toward them.

I would never fight a war to defend a land just because it happened to be that I was born there, I would fight with the inhabitants of a land that has the values for which I choose to defend. I choose, first of all the freedom to be what I want to be.
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Nota:
Ho inserito questo post sul My Philosophy di Stefano Spadoni perche' e' esattamente anche la mia filosofia di vita. Ultimamente leggo e sento commenti anche da parte di miei amici e conoscenti in cui mi si dice che non dovrei tornare in Usa, che bisogna restare in Italia per combattere e migliorare le cose, perche' chi va via e' anche causa del continuo degrado italiano e chi va via e' un vigliacco che si arrende. Non credo che questi ragionamenti siano corretti. Innanzitutto un tentativo di tornare a vivere in Italia lo ho anche fatto e in effetti sono ancora qui, intrappolato in questo Paese da quasi due anni, tornato con ottimismo e desideroso di andare di nuovo via.
E poi chi lo ha detto che bisogna restare a vita nel Paese in cui si e' nati? Non ho scelto io di nascere in Italia. Non ho firmato un patto di sangue con questo Paese. Io penso che ogni persona abbia il diritto di poter scegliere dove vivere. I ragionamenti da tribu' o da tifo da stadio per cui bisogna sempre difendere il Paese in cui si e' nati o la religione che ti e' stata insegnata e inclulcata non mi hanno mai convinto.
Dedicato a tutti coloro che hanno avuto la forza e il coraggio di andare all'estero per una nuova vita.