Message shines through in Hank song

It's been written about many times since Sept. 11, 2001 -- why can't people just get along? I recently bought a Hank Williams Jr. CD. One of the songs on it is called "Why Can't We All Just Get A Long Neck," and I think it about fits the situation the world is in right now.

The song talks about how Hank just wants everyone to get along and how he wants to buy the world a round so they can talk on neutral ground and maybe get drunk enough everyone will forget why they're all fighting with each other. It's a nice thought. In the song, Hank says that the more he learns the less he understands. I agree with him.

So why can't people just get along? We're all human beings, and we're all made out of the same stuff.

Some of us are Catholic, and some of us are Muslim. Some of us are healthy, and some of us are not. Some of us have cell phones permanently attached to our person, and some of us don't. Not everyone believes in the war in Iraq. Not everyone has someone they love in Iraq right now, but some people do. Some people had loved ones on one of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center. Some people had friends or relatives who were in the World Trade Center. Not everyone does, though. But we all went through Sept. 11 together. It united us for a brief time. Two and a half years later, we're divided like Confederates and Yankees, except we're fighting about taking control of the Middle East, not slavery.

There are so many differences in the world; so many, in fact, I don't believe in "normal" anymore. Anyone who considers themselves or their family normal needs to see a shrink. There are a variety of races, skin colors, languages and sexual orientations. But there are so many similarities between the people in the world. We all were born. In America, at least, we are all given a chance for happiness and we are guaranteed liberty and justice for all.

Why can't people have more of an open mind? On the VATER Connection Board I belong to on the Internet, I hear stories about how some of the children are made fun of because they are disfigured either because they were born that way or by surgery. It's amazing to me how narrow-minded people can be when it comes to external differences. I've been called names I can't repeat because of my height (4 feet, 6 inches) and the number of fingers I have (nine). Some people don't accept me because I don't fit in with the norm. So what if I'm sick? It doesn't mean people have a right to look down at me. When celebrities get sick, they get all sorts of attention. When I started getting sick, I was labeled as handicapped. I don't really see the fairness in that.

Instead of being violent, I believe that people should exercise their freedom of speech. I know it sounds corny, but why can't people try it? Guns and weapons of mass destruction may be nice to have, but they aren't the solution for every problem. In 1987, my great-grandmother was murdered in her apartment. I don't know why. No one really does. But I do know that it wasn't worth it to kill an old woman like that.

The question remains: Why can't we all just get a long neck? Would a round of drinks for everyone in the world cure everything? If it would, I'll buy.

Emily Hendricks is a student at Central High School.