Us/Them

US/THEM - THEM/US Fear of the Other breeds hatred of the Other They aren't like us-so they must be bad...inferior...dangerous... Humans are by nature social animals, but we tend to bond with other humans with whom we have something in common: beliefs, experiences, likes and dislikes, etc. With the expansion of humans across the planet, it seems that, even as our numbers grow, we find ways to whittle our groups into ever narrower, specialized, and exclusive blocks. We target the Other for the most minor differences and interpret everything from THEM as an insult or an attack. Within these pages you will witness hatred, intolerance and fanaticism as well as love, understanding and acceptance. Most of all, I, and the authors, hope you discover stories that will cause you to pause and think before condemning someone as being THEM and not US. Featuring stories by: Natasha Gordon-Polomski, Birgit Gaiser, Madeline McEwen, Maria Simbra, Ginny Venton, B Craig Grafton, J.J. Smith, Laramie Wyoming, Liam Hogan, Brad Shurmantine, Lisa Timpf, Charles Robertson, Thomas Cannon, Charles Kyffhausen, John Taloni, Bob Rich, Tammy Higgins, Duane L. Herrmann, Sarah Edmonds, Russell Hemmell, Carlton Herzog, Christopher Welch, Bennie Rosa, Holly Schofield, Ray Daley, DJ Tyrer, Radar DeBoard, Joanna Michal Hoyt and Steven T. Lente