I almost lost my mind while watching a video online about a bunch of people who gathered together in order to shout hateful, threatening things at other people.

That was the whole purpose of their gathering—to shout hateful things. Even as I write this, there is something inside me that still can’t believe it. People got together in order to be hateful with each other.

It is a sad reality of the 21st century that we live in a culture trained to self-hate and self-doubt. I have been writing books and making art about this, and how to counteract it, for over three years now, but this video was too much. Watching it started a fire in my belly that pushed me to walk my talk.

It is not enough for me to write and draw pictures and share these things virtually when people are so clearly suffering from a lack of connection to themselves, to each other, and to any notion of community. So I started “A Love Rebellion.”

I am traveling around the United States this summer talking with people about love, compassionate community, and how to counteract the feelings of fear and rage that are so prevalent right now. I approach complete strangers on the street and tell them about the Rebellion, that I think they are awesome, or amazing, or spectacular, and I give them a sticker of one of my drawings. I have already traveled to 12 cities on the West Coast, and I am about to head east.

I take short videos in each location and share them on Facebook and anywhere else I can.

It is my hope that I inspire people to be kinder with themselves, the people around them, and hopefully, encourage them to act on any small impulse they might have to help.

I figure if a group of people can get together in order to express hate, I can spare a summer to travel around the U.S. and attempt to counteract that activity.

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Author: Sara Young
Image: Wikipedia
Editor: Travis May
Copy Editor: Catherine Monkman
Social Editor: Callie Rushton